Prison island

A prison island is an island housing a prison. Islands have often been used as sites of prisons throughout history due to their natural isolation preventing escape.^[1][2]

Prison islands by country[]

Australia[]

• Christmas Island, location of Christmas Island Detention Centre which houses unlawful entrants into Australia awaiting deportation.^[3]

Bulgaria[]

• St. Anastasia Island, used as a prison island for political prisoners between 1925 and 1940

China[]

• Dongguan Prison occupies most of Xinzhou, an island in the East River

Croatia[]

• Goli otok, location of the prison and torture camp for political dissidents in SFR Yugoslavia, from 1949 to 1988

France[]

• Île Royale, 1852-1952, part of the Devil's Island penal colony
• Devil's Island (Kourou), 1852-1952, part of the Devil's Island penal colony
• Saint-Joseph Island, 1852-1952, part of the Devil's Island penal colony
• Île Sainte-Marguerite, 1600s-1900s.
• Château d'If

Hong Kong[]

• Tai A Chau
  • Tai A Chau Detention Centre, 1991–96
• Hei Ling Chau
  • Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre, 1975–present
  • Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution, 1994–present
  • Lai Sun Correctional Institution, 1984–present
  • Nei Kwu Correctional Institution, 2002–present

Indonesia[]

• Nusa Kambangan off the southern coast of Java is a notorious prison island, and contains a number of prisons.

Malaysia[]

• Jerejak Island, location of the Jerejak Rehabilitation Centre from 1969 to 1993. Called the 'Alcatraz of Malaysia'.

Montenegro[]

• Grmožur, a fortified islet in Lake Skadar which served as a prison
• Mamula, location of the Fascist Italian concentration camp, from 1942 to 1945

Russia[]

• Ognenny Ostrov, location of Vologodskiy Pyatak prison since 1917.

South Africa[]

• Robben Island, location of Robben Island Prison from 1961 to 1996. The Island was used to incarcerate political prisoners as early as the 17th Century, and later during the Xhosa Wars

Tanzania[]

• Changuu, known as 'Prison Island'. Held rebellious slaves in 1860s.

Turkey[]

• İmralı island, location of a prison since 1935.^[4]

United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland[]

• Spike Island, County Cork, from 1847 to 2004. Part of Treaty Ports.

United States[]

• Alcatraz Island, location of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary from 1934 until 1963.
• Rikers Island, location of New York City's main jail complex.
• Deer Island (Massachusetts), location of Deer Island Prison, closed in 1991.
• McNeil Island, location of McNeil Island Corrections Center from 1875 to 2011.
• Diego Garcia, believed to be a CIA black site circa 2005.

References[]