World’s Most Dangerous Prisons (Ranked & Explained)

Prisons are meant to rehabilitate, but in many parts of the world, they have become places of extreme danger, neglect, and abuse. 

Overcrowding, violence, and systemic failures often leave inmates worse off than when they entered. 

Based on a 2024 analysis from the International Security Journal, this graphic shows 20 of the world’s most dangerous prisons and the conditions that define them.

• The most dangerous prison in the world is Muhanga Correctional Facility in Rwanda, driven by extreme overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inhumane living conditions that put inmates’ health and safety at constant risk.
• Regionally, the world’s worst prisons are concentrated in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.