Prison cells around the world vary dramatically, reflecting each country’s approach to incarceration. Some facilities prioritize rehabilitation with comfortable living spaces, access to education, and even art programs, while others are stark, overcrowded, and harsh, designed purely for confinement. From the minimal yet humane cells of Scandinavian prisons to the bleak and cramped conditions of some facilities in developing countries, these spaces reveal a great deal about justice systems and societal values.
This collection of photos offers a rare glimpse inside prisons worldwide, showcasing the stark contrasts in how inmates live. Whether modern and reform-focused or grim and punitive, these images provide insight into the diverse realities of imprisonment across different cultures and legal systems.
Prison Cells: Canada
Prison Cells: Sweden
Prison Cells: Denmark
Prison Cells: Norway
Prison Cells: Switzerland
Aranjuez Prison, Aranjuez, Spain
Spain’s Aranjuez Prison lets parents and children stay with their incarcerated family members. With Disney characters on the walls, a nursery, and a playground, the goal is to prevent kids from realizing, as long as possible, that a parent is behind bars
Luzira Prison, Kampala, Uganda
In Luzira, inmates are assigned more responsibility that would be in similar prisons in the United Kingdom or the USA. Inmates assume responsibility for maintenance of harmony and functionality of the units where they live, including the growing and harvesting of food, its preparation and its diLuzira Prison takes a unique approach to incarceration, placing greater responsibility on inmates compared to similar facilities in the UK or the USA. Prisoners are actively involved in maintaining order and functionality within their living units, including growing, harvesting, preparing, and distributing food. Education and skill development are strongly encouraged, with many inmates learning and teaching carpentry. The guard-to-prisoner ratio stands at approximately 1:35, significantly higher than the 1:15 ratio in the UK. Unlike many other prisons, aggression among inmates is rare rather than the norm. This rehabilitative environment contributes to a lower recidivism rate—less than 30%—compared to 46% in the UK and 76% in the United States.
Bastøy Prison, Horten, Norway
Bastøy Prison, Norway’s largest low-security facility, is located on Bastøy Island in the Oslo Fjord, within Horten municipality. The prison spans the entire island, though the northern beach, Nordbukta, remains open to the public. Designed as a self-sustaining community, it features around 80 buildings, roads, agricultural land, forests, and recreational areas, including a football field. Inmates have access to a shop, library, school, health services, social support offices, and even a ferry service with its own shipping agency. While some critics label Bastøy’s approach as “cushy” or “luxurious” due to its humane living conditions—even for those convicted of serious crimes—it boasts the lowest reoffending rate in Europe, demonstrating the effectiveness of its rehabilitation-focused model.
Halden Prison, Halden, Norway
Halden Prison, Norway’s second-largest maximum-security facility, is designed with a strong focus on rehabilitation. Opened in 2010, it features three main units and houses inmates from around the world. Unlike traditional high-security prisons, Halden has no conventional security devices, instead emphasizing a humane and community-based approach. Its environment is designed to mirror life outside prison, offering inmates access to sports, music, and meaningful interactions with unarmed staff. Renowned for its progressive philosophy, Halden was awarded the Arnstein Arneberg Award for interior design in 2010 and has been the subject of a documentary. While widely praised for its rehabilitative model, it has also faced criticism for being overly lenient.
Onomichi Prison, Onomichi, Japan
As Japan’s population ages, specialized prisons for elderly inmates are becoming more common. Onomichi Prison exclusively houses senior prisoners, providing an environment tailored to their needs. The facility is equipped with handrails for mobility support, serves soft food for easier consumption, and offers work programs focused on activities like knitting and sewing.
Norgerhaven Prison, Veenhuizen, Netherlands
Norgerhaven Prison in Veenhuizen offers inmates a relatively comfortable living environment, with private cells featuring a bed, furniture, a refrigerator, a TV, and a private bathroom. Due to low crime rates, the Netherlands faced an “undercrowding” crisis in its prison system. To address this, the country made a unique agreement with Norway in 2015, allowing Norwegian inmates to serve their sentences at Norgerhaven.
Black Dolphin Prison, Sol-Iletsk, Russia
Russia’s infamous Black Dolphin Prison, located near the Kazakhstan border, is one of the country’s most secure and feared facilities. Inmates, consisting of serial killers, cannibals, and terrorists, are confined to tiny 50-square-foot cells secured behind three layers of steel doors. They live in a “cell within a cell” under constant 24-hour surveillance, with no chance of escape—one prison lieutenant told National Geographic that the only way out is death. Collectively, the inmates are responsible for an estimated 3,500 murders, averaging five killings per prisoner.
Cebu Provincial Detention And Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), Cebu, Cebu Province, Philippines
CPDRC is a maximum-security prison known for its unique rehabilitation program, where inmates participate in choreographed dance routines as part of their daily exercise. These performances, often filmed and shared online, have gained worldwide attention, turning the prisoners into unexpected internet celebrities.
Oslo’s Skien Prison, Oslo, Norway
Norwegian prisons focus on rehabilitation by mirroring life outside as closely as possible. At Skien Prison, inmates have private bathrooms, TVs, video games, and access to a gym and outdoor yard. One of its most infamous inmates, mass murderer Anders Breivik, is serving a 21-year sentence there. Despite having a three-room cell—for living, studying, and exercise—along with a TV, computer (without internet), and a game console, Breivik attempted to sue the state in 2016 over “cruel” conditions. However, compared to most prisons, his setup—including the ability to cook his own meals and do his own laundry—would be considered highly comfortable.
Penal De Ciudad Barrios, Ciudad Barrios, San Miguel, El Salvador
Originally built as 72-hour holding cells, Penal de Ciudad Barrios now confines inmates for months or even years in extreme overcrowding. Each 12-by-15-foot cell is crammed with more than 30 people, forcing prisoners to spend their days pulling apart clothing and weaving hammocks just to create sleeping space. With inmates stacked on top of each other, conditions are harsh, making survival a daily struggle.
Otago Corrections Facility, Milburn, New Zealand
It has been dubbed the “Milton Hilton” – a place where prisoners can relax in ultimate luxury while they do their time. The Otago Corrections Facility in New Zealand looks more like a teenager’s bedroom than a prison. There are health facilities and a library designed to keep people feeling like members of society.
The Maula Prison, Lilongwe, Malawi
The Maula prison in Lilongwe, Malawi, is severely overcrowded — in 2015, almost 200 people were crammed into one 60-person cell. Prisoners there, many of whom are Ethiopian migrants, must share one toilet per 120 people and one tap per 900 people. Prisoners are fed just once a day, due to the small budget of the Malawian government. One of a few highlights for the inmates is sports. Men are permitted to play football and women can play basketball.
UN Detention Unit, Outside The Hague, Netherlands
The United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) is a UN-administered jail. It was established in 1993 as part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The facility now serves as the International Criminal Court detention centre, where individuals are prosecuted for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The jail houses the detained suspects during their trial and those convicted by the court serving prison sentences. Each cell has it’s own toilet and washing area. Inmates have access to a gym and a PE instructor, they can also cook for themselves. A personal computer is provided in each cell, where inmates can view material on their cases.
El Buen Pastor Women’s Prison, Bogota, Colombia
The El Buen Pastor women’s prison in Bogota, Colombia contains cells that were designed to house 2 inmates but now house anywhere between 10 to 20 women. Corruption and violence is prominent amongst prisoners. Despite harsh conditions, El Buen Pastor makes attempts to humanize its inmates by a holding an annual beauty pageant and parade.
