What Prisons Are Actually Like Around The World

A few years ago, there was a public outcry when a 6-year-old British girl found a message from a Chinese prisoner inside a supermarket Christmas card. This discovery flashed a global spotlight on Chinese conditions inside prisons - and the Chinese government worked quickly to cover up the story - denying they even had inmates working on these cards. 

But forced labor - from packing cards to oatmeal to assembling Christmas lights - is common in Chinese prisons. Working long hours with very minimal breaks is expected; and if you don't accomplish what is expected of you, you can expect a sharp punishment. For one inmate, his quota consisted of assembling 6,000 Christmas lights per day. 

Rather than living in a small cell, Chinese prisons can consist of one large room - with 30 or more people in it. They sleep on the concrete floors, then wake up and work in the same, confined space.

The Russian penal system has been thrown into the spotlight in recent years after Brittney Griner's arrest and subsequent sentencing. Although she is now home, interest in Russian prison conditions hasn't gone away. 

The prison system is a unique case, based on the history of Russian prisons and work camps. On the one hand, their prisons have been undergoing a reform over the past 20 years - and they now have half as many inmates as they did ten years ago (467,000 in 2019 versus 893,000 in 2008). 

But the conditions for the current prisoners are still regarded as incredibly poor compared to most of the world. 

If you're sent to an isolated work camp (which many inmates are), you're expected to do serious, manual labor - with some prisoners not receiving the proper clothing to withstand the harsh Russian winters. The food served can include spoiled meat, which means the workers aren't getting the nutrition they need to complete such intense labor. 

And if you don't agree with the work you're expected to do, the maltreatment you can receive from the guards is extreme. 

South African prisons became some of the most dangerous during the years when apartheid ruled the country - since then, the government has been trying to make changes to their penal system. 

However, the progress is slow - and the conditions are still very poor. 

South African prisons have some of the highest prison density in the world - at 135%. There is a lack of basic supplies like beds, unsanitary conditions, and poor ventilation. Diseases, including sexually-transmitted diseases, run rampant - with a 15% rate of HIV infection among inmates, whereas the general South African population has only a 5% rate.

Violence and sexual violence are common in prisons due to staff shortages and an opinion by the public that abuse while in prison is “part of the punishment.”  

When the Mexican government announced that they'd spent $3.7 billion in nine years on a portion of their prisons (that are privately run), citizens assumed these inmates were living the high life inside. 

This couldn't be further from the truth. In Mexico, prisoners can regularly be beaten by guards - with their personal property at risk of being taken away in the middle of the night in raids. 

Electric shocks are a common way to get the inmates in line - which is sometimes administered when the prisoners are just relaxing in their cells. 

Yet, inmates grew wary of complaining about the mistreatment, as the guards monitor all their communications. So, they've learned to “shut up” to get through their time in lockup. 

Brazil's prison conditions are among some of the worst on this list. Prisoners are expected to provide their own mattresses, toiletries, bedding, and clothing. So, if an inmate doesn't have a family member who can provide them with those things, they are forced to go without them. 

There is severe overcrowding in many of Brazil's prisons, meaning that many inmates have to sleep on the ground of their cells. If there is no room on the floor, though, some people sleep tied to the cell bars. 

The even more unlucky may sleep in the bathroom next to the “toilet” - a hole in the ground. 

Bug infestations are common from poorly sealed windows, but at least this provides ventilation from the smells. 

In Thailand, where you lived prior to lock-up will make a major impact on your time in prison. This is because Thai prisons have a “house” system, where people from the same communities group together inside. 

There are pros and cons to this. Yes, this group will automatically look out for you and have your back - but you also have to share any food or packages you receive with your crew. This is incredibly impactful as most prisoners rely on family for food because the meals in the prisons are so bad.

Prisoners are forced to sleep on thin blankets rather than mattresses, and their showering consists of dipping a bowl into a large basin and dowsing themselves. 

Female prisoners are only given feminine products a few times a year - and even then, they aren't allowed to stockpile them because they can be used as “currency.”