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Supermax prisons are for prisoners that are violent or are capable of organizing violence: mass murderers, terrorists, high-sec prisoners (like cartel leaders),

Supermax prisons are for prisoners that are violent or are capable of organizing violence: mass murderers, terrorists, high-sec prisoners (like cartel leaders), or those with a long streak of violent crimes against security guards or other inmates. Generally, most Supermax prisoners are housed in solitary confinement because it is not safe for other prisoners to be near them because of their propensity to engage in acts of violence against their fellow inmates. (Note: in many state prisons, solitary is used for punishment; this is not allowed at the federal level.)

tyingq 6y ago
Many other countries seem to be able to handle prisoners without a compulsory 3 year solitary introductory period. Edit: There's also quite a lot of non-violent espionage prisoners that went straight to supermax solitary.
- gamblor956 6y ago
  Other countries, i.e., in the EU, have high security prisons, and those high security prisons also use solitary confinement for high risk prisoners as needed. The federal supermax simply has more because we have a bigger population; on a per capita basis the imposition of solitary confinement is about equal.
  - tyingq 6y ago
    The key part is an initial, mandatory stint of 3 years in solitary. I'm skeptical that an EU country would do that.
    - gamblor956 6y ago
      It's not an "initial, mandatory stint" of 3 years. Most Supermax prisoners are housed for less than 3 years (in the Supermax facility), and in order to be subject to solitary on arrival you must be a high-risk prisoner (cartel or history of violence while incarcerated). It is the exceptional case that a prisoner remains in Supermax, much less Supermax solitary, for more than a year. And quite honestly, all of those exceptional cases are there for a reason and have earned the punishment.
      - tyingq 6y ago
        Go back up to my original post on ADX Florence. "After three years in maximum confinement, some prisoners may be transferred to a less restrictive prison." And note that several espionage sentenced prisoners are there. None of them did anything violent.

tyingq 6y ago

Many other countries seem to be able to handle prisoners without a compulsory 3 year solitary introductory period. Edit: There's also quite a lot of non-violent espionage prisoners that went straight to supermax solitary.

gamblor956 6y ago
Other countries, i.e., in the EU, have high security prisons, and those high security prisons also use solitary confinement for high risk prisoners as needed. The federal supermax simply has more because we have a bigger population; on a per capita basis the imposition of solitary confinement is about equal.
- tyingq 6y ago
  The key part is an initial, mandatory stint of 3 years in solitary. I'm skeptical that an EU country would do that.
  - gamblor956 6y ago
    It's not an "initial, mandatory stint" of 3 years. Most Supermax prisoners are housed for less than 3 years (in the Supermax facility), and in order to be subject to solitary on arrival you must be a high-risk prisoner (cartel or history of violence while incarcerated). It is the exceptional case that a prisoner remains in Supermax, much less Supermax solitary, for more than a year. And quite honestly, all of those exceptional cases are there for a reason and have earned the punishment.
    - tyingq 6y ago
      Go back up to my original post on ADX Florence. "After three years in maximum confinement, some prisoners may be transferred to a less restrictive prison." And note that several espionage sentenced prisoners are there. None of them did anything violent.