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9 Luxurious Prisons Around the World!
Have you ever heard about the luxurious prisons around the world?! Yes! Surprising but real! There are several luxury prisons we want to talk about;
| luxurious prisons around the world | |
| 1 | Philippines, CPDRC |
| 2 | Norway’s Halden Prison |
| 3 | Norway’s Bastøy Prison |
| 4 | Sollentuna Prison |
| 5 | JVA Fuhlsbuettel Prison |
| 6 | Champ Dollon Prison |
| 7 | Austria, the Justice Center Leoben |
| 8 | Aranjuez Prison |
| 9 | Pondok Bambu Prison |
1st of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Philippines, CPDRC
Coordinated dances. Karaoke. Family rooms. When you think of prison, you think of the worst that society has to offer. But that’s not what it’s like everywhere. There are places around the world or luxurious prisons around the world where criminals can enjoy video games, open kitchens, and privacy. Some of these places sound more like 4-star hotels than prisons, and we’re going to share all the crazy details before answering the big question – Is it better to treat prisoners with punishment or luxury?
Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) isn’t the most luxurious, but it makes our list due to the sheer celebrity status the inmates get to enjoy, and one of the most luxurious prisons around the world. In the Philippines, CPDRC offers recreational and creative exercises to the prisoners. You may have even seen videos of them floating around the Internet. The inmates, dressed in bright orange jumpsuits, will line up in rows to dance in unison to popular music.
The CPDRC’s Dancing Inmates have put the prison on the map as a tourist destination. The dance numbers are televised, and civilian audiences are encouraged to watch. These prisoners have become so popular that people even ask for the dancers’ autographs!
Cebu is the one place you can go to prison to become a star – Compared to prisons in LA, where it’s the other way around. It’s important to note that CPDRC is a maximum security prison. It’s a place where the most hardened killers are sent. It adds a whole new level of surrealism to watching 1,600 inmates dance in the prison yard.
The tradition began in the mid-2000s thanks to CPDRC Warden Byron F. Garcia. He had wanted to liven up the fitness hour, and what better way to do that than dancing? When Garcia noticed it led to an increase in good behavior and inspired camaraderie among the inmates, he continued with having the inmates dance for their exercise. He never planned to have them become Internet celebrities. It hadn’t even crossed his mind.
He filmed the inmates dancing to Thriller and uploaded it onto YouTube. He had hoped other prisons might follow their lead since it had been working wonders. The video would get 6 million views in three weeks, and it would land at number 5 on Time magazine’s “Top 10 Viral Videos of 2007.” Performances would become open to the public by April 2008. Garcia acts as the emcee for the event, starting at 3 PM and going on for at least two hours with an intermission.
During this, they’ll perform about 15 dances to a variety of pop hits. The show ends with a flourish as Garcia invites audience members to have a prisoner-led dance lesson, followed by a photo op with the prisoners. Anyone who attends one of these dance performances will be sent home with souvenir photos and an orange T-shirt or collector’s coffee mug.
The whole affair ends for tourists when they return to the capitol grounds by 6:30 PM. If you go, be prepared to make a day of it!
There is some controversy surrounding the whole affair. Having murderers and other dangerous individuals dancing around for accolades doesn’t sit right with everyone – especially their former victims or the friends and families of those victims. Miguel Cortez, a former psychology professor at the University of Manila, has questioned if it’s a useful program.
Instead of dancing, they could be learning technical skills that will prepare them for life outside Cebu Prison. Choreographed prison dancing isn’t going to lead to too many job opportunities once they’re outside again. Cortez argues that the actual needs of the prisoners are ignored for fame. Others are, understandably, upset at seeing criminality become a gateway to stardom.
There are plenty of people who see bringing in tourists to watch them dance and take home souvenirs as disrespectful to the victims of the inmates. When does it stop being a way to help prisoners refocus their energy and turn it into a reward for bad behavior? The CPDRC inmates did take a brief break from their dance routines due to Covid-19. But if seeing these dancing inmates is on your bucket list, fear not!
They made their return to the world in 2023. So, if you’re ever in the Philippines, you might want to take a little detour to watch Cebu’s dancing inmates. Just try not to think too hard about the ethical quandaries.
2nd of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Norway’s Halden Prison
Now, let’s turn our eyes to Europe, looking for another of the luxurious prisons around the world, and starting with Norway’s Halden Prison or Halden Fengsel. It’s a maximum security prison situated in a sprawling forest. The inmates there have privacy and comfort. Prisoners can even enjoy a recreation room where they can watch television and movies or play video games, not to mention access to skill-building classes, a musical recording facility, and a gym.
And many of these inmates are no sweethearts. There are murderers and rapists among their ranks, although a third of them are there for smuggling or drug-related charges. But the prison is dedicated to preparing to release these inmates back into the world once they’ve finished their sentence.
in Norway, the maximum sentence is 21 years, regardless of your crime.
Even Anders Behring Breivik, the terrorist who killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting attack, is only serving 21 years. It explains the desire to focus on rehabilitation, though. Seems pretty important to keep people from reoffending. While many people see violence as just part of prison life, violence is rare in Halden, mostly taking place in Unit A. Unit A is the most restrictive unit reserved for inmates with psychiatric or other medical issues that need to be monitored.
It’s also where the prisoners who committed crimes that would make them unpopular in Units B and C are kept. Halden employs “dynamic security.” It’s a philosophy that centers the relationship between inmates and staff on maintaining safety in this more lax prison setting.
In the American prison system, they use “static security.” Static security works to prevent bad behavior in problem inmates. They minimize interactions with prisoners while watching them through cameras and using remote-controlled doors and shackles. The focus is on controlling the prisoner before violence can break out.
Dynamic security, on the other hand, focuses on preventing bad intentions to begin with. The officers at Halden will spend time in the common rooms with the inmates instead of segregating themselves. Staff engage in casual conversation and will even share a meal with the inmates, creating a sense of connection. There are security cameras on the prison grounds, but guards don’t follow them.
This system believes building trust with the inmates is a must for them to improve in the long run. But, curiously, they don’t have surveillance cameras in the common rooms, cell hallways, cells, classrooms, or workshops. While it sounds like this would allow prisoners to run amok, it seems to have the opposite effect!
You can also check this video regarding the most luxurious prisons around the world;
Halden does have an isolation cell with a limb-restraining bed, but it’s rarely used. To create normalcy, they even allow the inmates to have waffles! Waffles are a weekly treat in many Norwegian homes, which is why they have them once a week at Halden. Inmates will even make fine dining quality food in a professional-grade kitchen classroom to prepare them for release.
This might be one of the only times people want to eat prison food!
3rd of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Norway’s Bastøy Prison
Bastøy Prison is a low-security prison that’s also in Norway with a similar approach to incarceration and another of the most luxurious prisons around the world. It’s just off the coast in the Oslo fjord, and it’s about 46 miles away from Norway’s capital. Inmates are given cottages to live in while being expected to work on the prison farm. But they don’t just work; they have access to tennis lessons, horseback riding, fishing, and sunbathing.
The severity of crimes committed by inmates in this prison is deadly and disturbing, but they all have the same punishment: the loss of freedom. The most interesting part is that it has the lowest reoffending rate in Europe. Maybe they’re doing something right.
4th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Sollentuna Prison
Sweden has ideas about prisons that are similar to those of its Norwegian neighbor and is another of the most luxurious prisons around the world. Sollentuna Prison, or Häktet Sollentuna, is a high-security prison that offers inmates private cells with comfortable beds and bathrooms. Much like Halden, they have an open kitchen and recreation room with a television to watch. And how many prisons can brag that they’re eco-friendly?
In 2019, Sollentuna won the BREEAM Public Projects In-Use award for its eco-friendly initiatives. The prison houses a 1,100 square meter green roof of plants and turf. The ventilation system recycles heat from the air, and the waste disposal room has eight categories of waste. It’s not just Sweden and Norway with the luxurious prisons in Europe.
5th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
JVA Fuhlsbuettel Prison
Germany is home to JVA Fuhlsbuettel Prison, a prison that has been criticized for giving the prisoners too much freedom and is another of the most luxurious prisons around the world. Inmates live in expensive cells, and they have access to washing machines and telephones. Prisoners get to enjoy plenty of natural light, and they have access to conference rooms.
They even redecorate the floors after short periods for inmates who have long sentences.
6th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Champ Dollon Prison
Germany’s neighbor, Switzerland, also has its luxury prison, the Champ Dollon Prison. It wasn’t always on the list, though. In 2008, it was the most overcrowded prison. They refurbished it to allow triple-occupancy cells with their private bathrooms. After solving their overcrowding problem, the prison became more like a college dormitory. Prisoners can help one another through their rehabilitation while also having access to outdoor facilities and recreation time.
While living in a dormitory isn’t something people dream of, it’s certainly better than a grimy prison cell would be.
7th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Austria, the Justice Center Leoben
Next door in Austria, the Justice Center Leoben is considered one of the best luxurious prisons around the world. Now, it is the 5-star hotel of prisons. Each prisoner lives in what is a studio apartment with a private bed, bathroom, kitchenette, and television. That’s not all!
Inmates can mingle at a basketball court, outdoor gym, and a space that’s for walking and socializing. They can even go to the spa if they so choose.
It’s specifically for non-violent offenders, and it’s home to only 205 inmates. You won’t find murderers or kidnappers at Leoben. The idea was that, since they committed minor offenses, they should still be punished, but not nearly as harshly as someone who did something far more heinous or deadly.
8th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Aranjuez Prison
In Spain, another of the most luxurious prisons around the world is observed where the Aranjuez Prison is considered the prison “for families.” It’s the only prison where infants can live with their imprisoned parents for the first few years of their lives. Cells are decorated with cribs, and play areas, and cartoon characters are painted on the walls. This isn’t the ideal situation for a child, but it beats being completely separated.
Prison can tear families apart, especially when infant children are involved. Aranjuez Prison’s goal is to lessen that pain and offer stability for the children of criminals. An example of the prison’s philosophy at work is with prisoner Carmen Garcia, who has been sentenced to 10 years for murdering her boyfriend. While in prison, she met and married fellow inmate, Victor Lozano, and gave birth to their son, Victor Manuel.
In any other prison, Victor Manuel would be taken from her after birth to live with relatives or enter into the foster care system. At Aranjuez Prison, Garcia and Lozano can raise their son for the first few years of his life. At night, after a day of playing with the other children at the prison, the family will be locked up. Garcia acknowledges it as the saddest part of the day for her son.
Once Victor Manuel reaches the age of three, however, he will no longer be able to stay with his parents. He’ll have to go live with relatives, or social services will take over. His parents will then be sent to regular prison cells instead of the family cell.
It may not sound as fancy as some of the prisons in Sweden or Germany, but for a parent, it is a luxury prison. Before you get too worried about the children, not everyone is approved for the family cells. If you’ve been convicted of crimes against children, for example, you won’t be allowed in. So far, Europe has dominated all of the luxury prisons on our list, but other countries have followed suit.
Near Milton, New Zealand, Otago Corrections Facilities aims to rehabilitate its prisoners. Inmates are given comfortable rooms, and they can take classes to prepare them for life outside the prison, like engineering, cooking, construction, and dairy farming. There are a few other prisons that have a holistic approach to dealing with criminals.
9th of Luxurious Prisons Around the World:
Pondok Bambu Prison
In Bolivia, there’s the San Pedro Prison, another of the most luxurious prisons around the world, and in Indonesia, there’s the Pondok Bambu Prison. Pondok Bambu Prison is a women’s facility. The women can enjoy things like karaoke machines, gardens, and nail salons while inside. They believe that treating prisoners like human beings is what will lead to self-improvement and will lower their chances of reoffending.
Novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” How much does society benefit from focusing on rehabilitation over punishment? It’s understood that prison isn’t meant to be fun, but does making it a grueling experience accomplish anything? Rehabilitation was a bigger part of the United States prison system until the mid-1970s.
Prisoners developed occupational skills and were given opportunities to treat their mental health issues. Since then, America has adopted a “tough on crime” attitude toward law enforcement and criminal punishment. These days, most people see prison as a place where people are punished and not a place to better themselves. This had minimal effect on crime rates. Instead, it led to immense growth in the prison population.
There are over 2 million people in prisons or jail in the United States, while four to five million are on probation or parole. The United States has the highest prison population of any developed country. Between 15 and 20 percent of people in United States prisons are mentally ill. They’ve become de facto mental health hospitals for a lot of people while not being built to deal with a mentally ill population.
But the prison system doesn’t have enough mental health professionals to go around. And many of their resources go into mental health resources instead of rehabilitation. The conditions of prisons in the United States mean that inmates are less likely to be rehabilitated and are more likely to re-offend once they’re released. That alone might be the answer to whether or not prisoners would benefit from the more luxurious prisons we see in Norway or Sweden.
There’s a massive amount of documentation that emphasizes the impact that child abuse, poverty, early exposure to substance abuse, and other risk factors have on criminal behavior. The key to crime prevention is individual-centered approaches, along with community support for potential criminals. In the 1970s, people began to believe that “nothing works” regarding rehabilitation.
It’s how we ended up with our more punitive-focused prisons of today. However, it was greatly exaggerated since work programs, education, and psychotherapy paved the way for prisoners to re-enter society productively. The environment also shapes behavior.
Create an environment where a psychologically healthy person might become sadistic or depressed, and you’re only going to make the problem worse. It’s how someone who went in on something as innocuous as taking drugs can come out even worse. People in super-maximum security prisons often have high levels of anxiety and other negative emotions. And then they’re sent out into the world without any kind of decompression or social or occupational skills to succeed.
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It’s no wonder that the United States has the highest recidivism rates in the world!
44% of former inmates will return to prison within their first year of release.
While these prisons we’ve looked at today seem overindulgent and luxurious, some of them seem to be onto something. Punitive prisons are a short-term solution that may cause more issues down the road, but places like Aranjuez Prison or Bastøy may benefit society in the long run. And if you ended up down on your luck and in jail for something you did out of desperation, or even were falsely accused of doing, what kind of prison would you prefer to go to?
If you like to know more about the other luxurious prisons around the world you can search for these, too;
- HMP Addiewell, Scotland.
- Otago Corrections Facility, New Zealand