ADX Florence

The United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility is an American federal prison that uniquely provides a higher level of custody than a maximum security prison. It is classed as a Supermax, or ‘control unit prison’, where the safety of inmates and staff is paramount. Located in Fremont County, Colorado, and opened in 1994, it is known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons had declared a need for a unit designed specifically for the secure housing of those prisoners most liable to murder staff or other inmates. Prisoners spend 23 hours a day in single, soundproof cells with facilities made of poured concrete to deter self-harm, and 24-hour supervision, carried out intensively with high staff-inmate ratios. Phones are generally banned and only limited broadcast entertainment permitted.