Ararat County Gaol, Ararat, Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1861, Ararat County Gaol, now known as J Ward, was originally a forced-labor prison created to mine gold, but after the Victorian gold rush of the late 19th century, there was no longer a use for that. The prison was renamed J Ward in 1886, and it changed from a labor prison to prison for the criminally insane, becoming part of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum. J Ward was used not only to keep the criminally insane, but it also housed the insane who did not commit a crime while they were waiting for other arrangements to be made for their care. There were three executions on the grounds: in 1870, 1883, and 1884. Ararat closed in 1991, and it was opened as a museum two years later. Pinterest.Prison H15, Lille, France. Prison H15, also known as Prison de Loos, stands on the location of a Cistercian monastery that was built in the 1200s. The monastery stood there for over 500 years, until the French Revolution. The revolutionaries took over the monastery and forced the monks to leave. There were plans to turn the old monastery into a workplace for the poor, but that idea was abandoned and the monastery was turned into a prison. There was a shortage of prisons in the area, and many prisoners were being released early because of overcrowding. This was a problem that plagued the new prison as well. Since it was used as a prison beginning in the 19th century, H15 was built to accommodate 500 prisoners, but it had to be added on to accommodate extra prisoners, the number reaching 1500 at one time. The prison was shut down in 2011 due to overcrowding and prison reform. Photographed by jolienvandegriendt, December 21, 2014. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APrison_15H%2C_France_(16142128992).jpgDevil’s Island, French Guiana. Devil’s Island was a penal colony that was opened in 1852. In the 19th century, French prison reform changed the way that prisoners were housed: prison was now seen as a way to remove prisoners from society instead of rehabilitating them. Penal colonies were established to remove prisoners from society and make them work. Many prisoners sent to these prisons were sentenced according to the double system: they had to serve out their sentence, and once they were released, they were forced to stay in the colony and work for the exact amount of time as their sentence. It was one of many locations that the French used to isolate and imprison their political enemies throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The most famous political prisoner sent to Devil’s Island was Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was convicted of treason, although he was later exonerated. It was famous for its harsh environment and cruel treatment of its prisoners. Prisoners were often murdered by other prisoners, there was poor sanitation, and many died from tropical diseases. It was closed in 1953. http://www.worldatlas.com/twitter/satrip/devilisland/devilsphotopage.htm. Pinterest.Carabanchel Prison, Madrid, Spain. Carabanchel Prison was one of the largest prisons in Europe when it opened in 1944, during the dictatorial regime of General Francisco Franco. It was built to be inescapable by the men who would soon be imprisoned there. It became a political prison during the Franco regime, housing his political opponents and activists, among others. Known for its incredibly brutal treatment of prisoners, it was abandoned in 1998. There was a public struggle trying to figure out what to do with the property. Many people wanted to keep it open in memory of the democratic struggle in Spain, but others wanted to convert it into a public works building or a housing project. In 2008, the building was demolished. Photographed by Jose Manuel Suarez, August 20, 2008. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C%C3%A1rcel_de_Carabanchel_(Madrid)_02.jpgProcida Island Prison, Procida, Italy. Procida Island Prison was formerly a castle, and it was turned into a prison in 1830. Procida was home to many political prisoners, including members of the Italian Fascist regime. It was operational for over 150 years, when it was shut down in 1988. There have been plans to turn it into a luxury hotel. Pinterest.Santo Stefano Island Prison, Lazio, Italy. The prison on Santo Stefano Island was built in 1797 by the Bourbons, and it remained in operation until 1965. Although it was only built for six hundred people, it housed 800 inmates twenty years after it was built. Former inmates include Carmine Crocco, the resistance fighter and bandit in the period of the Italian unification, and Gaetano Bresci, who assassinated King Umberto I in 1900. The island was abandoned after the prison closed. Copyright Getty Images. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/eerie-abandoned-prisons/ss-BBsx9SX?fullscreen=true#image=11Tuchthuis Prison, Vilvoorde, Belgium. The Tuchthuis Prison was built in 1779 when Belgium was under the control of the Austrian Netherlands. At one time, it was the largest prison in the country, and it housed over 12,000 people who were forced into labor. The cells are lit by a small narrow exposure in the ceiling, so the prisoners lived in perpetual darkness. Over the years, it was used as a hospital, a prison, and a military school. During World War II, Tuchthuis was commandeered by the Germans. After the war, the prison was shut down and sealed up in the 1950s. By the 1970s, it was abandoned. http://all-that-is-interesting.com/creepiest-abandoned-prisons. Pinterest.Rummu Prison, Rummu, Estonia. This Estonian prison was established by the Soviets in the 1940s, and its prisoners were forced into labor at a nearby limestone quarry. In 1991, Estonia became independent of Soviet rule, and the prison was abandoned. The limestone quarry flooded easily and constantly needed water pumped from it. After the prison was abandoned, the quarry flooded and most of Rummu prison is underwater. It now serves as a popular diving spot for locals and tourists. Pinterest.Patarei Sea Fortress, Tallinn, Estonia. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia ordered the construction of Patarei Sea Fortress to be used as barracks, but it was never used in this way. It was used as a prison for most of the 20th century when it was known for its small cells and harsh treatment. It was a prison museum from 1997 until it was closed in 2016. Over the years since it closed in 2002, it has become a symbol of Estonian resistance and pride against the brutal Russian rule. Copyright by Leonardo Patrizi/iStock/Getty Images. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/eerie-abandoned-prisons/ss-BBsx9SX?fullscreen=true#image=9Sinop Fortress Prison, Sinop, Turkey. Sinop Fortress Prison was a prison that was located inside of a fortress that was originally built in the 7th century BCE. In the 13th century CE, the area where the prison is located was closed off by adding walls inside the fortress. It was used as a dungeon in the 16th century, and Sinop Fortress Prison was constructed in 1887. Living conditions in this fortress prison were severe. Because of its location by the sea, there was so much moisture in the air that you could barely light a match. Escape wasn’t an option because of the location of the prison. In 1939, a separate facility was added to the fortress prison to house juvenile prisoners. By the early 20th century, the prisoners in Sinop Fortress were able to engage in work rehabilitation, and they learned artisan skills and could keep the money they made from selling their work. In 1997, the prison closed and the prisoners were transferred to a newer prison in Sinop. The Culture and Tourism Ministry took over the prison in 1999, and it is now open to the public. Photographed by Kerim ARLI, December 22, 2007. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASinop_Fortress_Prison.jpgGoli Otok Prison, Goli Otok, Croatia. Goli otak is an island that was used as political prison in Croatia. Before the prison officially opened, the island was used to house prisoners of war. Opened in 1949 when Yugoslavia ruled over Croatia, it was used as a labor camp and was used until 1956 to house political prisoners. Conditions at the labor camp were rough, and the prisoners were forced to work in rock quarries even if the weather was bad. The inmates were also beaten regularly, and if a fight broke out between prisoners, the guards did not intervene. Control of the prison was eventually passed to Croatia and it was shut down in 1989. Photographed by Zoran Kurelic Rabko, October 22, 2012. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOld_prison_-_Goli_Otok_-_panoramio.jpgCarandiru Penitentiary, São Paulo, Brazil. Carandiru was built in 1920, but it didn’t open until 1956. At one time, it held more inmates than any other prison in the country. Drauzio Varella, a well-known doctor in Brazil, exposed the cruel treatment, poor conditions, and AIDS epidemic at the prison that he saw during his volunteer work there in his book Carandiru Station. In 1992, the Carandiru Massacre in the prison resulted in the deaths of 111 prisoners when the military police responded to a prison riot. Over 100 of the deaths in the riot were caused by the police. The prison closed in 2002. One cell block from the prison was left open to create a museum, but the rest of the prison was destroyed. Pinterest.Presidio Modelo, Nueva Gerona, Cuba. Photographed by Friman, December 23, 2005. Dictator Gerardo Machado built Presidio Modelo from 1926-1928, and it was built to accommodate 2,500 prisoners. Fidel and Raul Castro were imprisoned there from 1953-1955. After Fidel Castro became Prime Minister of Cuba in 1959, he kept the prison open. Presido Modelo was massively overcrowded, leading to many prison riots. It closed in 1967, and it is now a national monument and museum. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APresidio-modelo2.JPGGarcia Moreno Prison, Quito, Ecuador. Built in the 1870s, Garcia Moreno prison was only supposed to hold 300 prisoners. At one time, it held over 2,500. The prison was notoriously overcrowded, with prison officials cramming 8 people into a cell only made for 2. This particular cell, “Los Polillas,” was designed to only hold two prisoners, but at one time fifteen prisoners suffering from drug addiction were held inside overnight. Another story that tour guides tell us about a cell where a man killed his wife and hung himself in front of his children during a family visit. A child’s shoe hanging in the doorway of the cell marks the location. Garcia Moreno’s most famous inmate was Eloy Alfaro, who was served two terms as Ecuador’s president. His successor imprisoned him at Garcia Moreno, and a mob broke into the jail in 1912. The mob dragged Alfaro out of the jail, murdered him, and burnt his body. Garcia Moreno was shut down in 2014, and you can tour the prison today. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3063795/Inside-Ecuador-s-hellhole-prison-Haunting-images-abandoned-cells-inmates-left-murals-sketches-documenting-misery-life-bars.htmlWilliam Porter Reformatory, Tokai, Cape Town, Africa. Opened in 1892, the William Porter Reformatory was designed to house juvenile offenders. Many believe that the building right next door, the Tokai Manor House, is haunted. The school was more like a prison, and the prisoners were kept in isolation cells at times. At the time that William Porter Reformatory opened, the area of Tokai and other parts of South Africa were in need of a labor force. The industrial industry was beginning to reach South Africa, and the area was already predominantly agricultural. The country needed able-bodied workers to contribute to the economy, so the prisoners at William Porter Reformatory School were forced into labor, or they were allowed to engage in apprenticeships. The workers were separated by race, leading to the racial definitions in society that led to apartheid. Photographed by Ian Varkevisser, May 1, 2014. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWilliam_Porter_Reformatory.jpg
