Worst Prisons by State 2024

Are State Prisons Worse Than Federal Prisons?

Many people wonder if state prisons are worse than federal prisons. In general, state prisons are worse than federal prisons because they do not get as much funding.

If someone has committed a state crime, they will typically be sent to a State Penitentiary. On the other hand, if someone has committed a federal crime, then they will be sent to a federal prison. Because the federal prison system has more money, federal prisons usually have more amenities. Therefore, state prisons are places that people typically want to avoid, particularly since people who commit violent crimes tend to end up in state prisons.

What Is the Worst Prison in Texas?

Texas is a place that is known for having terrible prisons. The worst prison in Texas is arguably the Allan B. Polunsky Unit. It has developed a reputation for being a difficult place to survive. It is one of the most lethal prisons in the developed world, and where death row for the state of Texas is located. If someone has been given a death sentence, they will generally be transported to this location.

It is one of the worst prisons in the country because people tend to spend 22 hours a day in a single cell. They do not have access to televisions or visitors. People are kept in solitary cages during their one hour of recreation time. This means that even during “free time” there is no human contact. Some people in this prison attempt suicide instead of continuing to live in these conditions.

What Is the Worst Prison in Louisiana?

Louisiana is not a state that is known for its nice prisons; in fact, one of its prisons is actually under investigation. That prison is the Orleans Parish Prison, which is located in New Orleans. There have been a lot of issues with this prison throughout the decades, but many of the issues developed in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The prisoners who were serving time there right after the hurricane had no utilities. They did not have ventilation, electricity, or clean water. Furthermore, the sewage system backed up, causing it to flood with raw sewage. When this is combined with the high rates of drug abuse and violence, it is easy to see why the FBI decided to open an investigation into this New Orleans, LA prison.

Worst Prisons by State 2024

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State
Worst Prisons
Alabama
  • St. Clair Correctional Facility
  • William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility
  • Bibb Correctional Facility
  • Elmore Correctional Facility
  • Easterling Correctional Facility
  • Easterling Correctional Facility
  • Kilby Correctional Facility
Alaska
  • Spring Creek Correctional Center
  • Wildwood Correctional Complex
  • Goose Creek Correctional Center
  • Anvil Mountain Correctional Center
  • Fairbanks Correctional Center
  • Anchorage Correctional Complex
Arizona
  • Arizona state prison complex – Douglas
  • Arizona state prison complex – Ayman
  • Arizona state prison complex – Florence
  • Arizona state prison complex – Lewis
  • Arizona state prison complex – Perryville
  • Arizona state prison complex – Tucson
  • Arizona state prison complex – Phoenix
Arkansas
  • East Arkansas Regional Unit
  • McPherson Unit
  • Wrightsville Unit
  • Varner Unit
  • The Supermax units
  • Cummins Unit
  • Tucker Unit
  • Southwest Arkansas Community Correction Center
  • Northeast Arkansas Community Corrections
California
  • Pelican Bay State Prison
  • San Quentin State Prison
  • California Medical Facility
  • Kern Valley State Prison
  • California State Prison
  • California State Prison
  • Folsom State Prison in California
Colorado
  • Administrative Maximum Facility (Florence)
  • Colorado State Penitentiary (Canon City)
  • Sterling Correctional Facility (Sterling)
  • Camp George West Historic District (Golden)
  • La Vista Correctional Facility (Pueblo)
Connecticut
  • Robison correction institute
  • York correctional institute
  • Hartford correctional institute
  • Corrigan-Rogowski Correction institute
  • Corrigan-Rogowski Correction institute
  • Cheshire correctional institute
  • MacDougall-walker Correctional institution
Delaware
  • Wilmington facility
  • Wilmington’s Howard R. Young Correctional Institution
  • Gander Hill
  • James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
  • New Bilibid Prison
  • Correctional institution for women
  • Correctional institution for women
  • Correctional institution for women
  • Sabayon prison Delaware
Florida
  • Union Correctional Institution
  • Martin Correctional Institution
  • Martin Correctional Institution
  • Columbia Correctional Institution
  • Santa Rosa Correctional Institution
  • Lowell Prison
  • Suwannee Correctional Institution
  • Charlotte Correctional Institution
  • Desoto Annex
  • Walton Correctional Institution
Georgia
  • Georgia State Prison
  • Ware State Prison
  • Smith State Prison
  • Baldwin State Prison
  • Hays State Prison
  • Johnson State Prison
  • Telfair State Prison
Hawaii
  • The Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility
  • The Halawa Correctional Facility
  • Waiawa Correctional Facility
  • The Women's Community Correctional Center (WCCC)
  • Hilo Correctional Center
  • The Kulani Correctional Facility
Idaho
  • Idaho State Correctional Institution
  • East Boise Correctional Center
  • East Boise Correctional Center
  • Idaho State Maximum Security Institution
  • Pocatello Women's Correctional Center
  • South Boise Women's Correctional Center
  • The Bonneville County Jail
Illinois
  • Stateville Correctional Center
  • Menard Correctional Center
  • Dixon Correctional Center
  • Pinckneyville Correctional Center
  • Illinois River Correctional Center
  • Centralia Correctional Center
  • Logan Correctional Center
Indiana
  • The United States Penitentiary - Terre Haute
  • Indiana Women's Prison
  • Indiana State Prison
  • Federal Correctional Institution - Terre Haute
  • Rockville Correctional Facility - Rockville
  • Miami Correctional Facility - Bunker Hill
  • Correctional Industrial Facility - Pendleton
  • Plainfield Juvenile Correctional Facility - Plainfield
Iowa
  • The Anamosa State Penitentiary
  • The Iowa Medical and Classification Center
  • The Iowa Medical and Classification Center
  • The Fort Dodge Correctional Facility
  • The Clarinda Correctional Facility
  • The Clarinda Correctional Facility
  • The North Central Correction Facility
  • The Iowa Department of Corrections
Kansas
  • Lansing Correctional Facility
  • El Dorado Correctional Facility
  • Topeka Correctional Facility
  • United States Penitentiary
  • Leavenworth; Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility
  • The United States Disciplinary Barracks
  • Hutchinson Correctional Facility
Kentucky
  • Green River Correctional Complex
  • Kentucky State Reformatory
  • Luther Luckett Correctional Complex
  • Kentucky State Penitentiary
  • Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women
  • Western Kentucky Correctional Complex
  • United States Penitentiary
  • Big Sandy
Louisiana
  • Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)
  • David Wade Correctional Center
  • Elayn Hunt Correctional Center
Maine
  • Mountain View Correctional Facility
  • Maine State Prison - Worst Prison in Maine
  • Bolduc Correctional Facility
  • Southern Maine Women's Reentry Center
  • Maine Correctional Center
Maryland
  • FCI Cumberland
Massachusetts
  • North Central Correctional Institution
  • South Middlesex Correctional Center
  • Boston Pre-Release Center
  • Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Concord
  • Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Cedar Junction
  • Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Norfolk
  • Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Framingham
Michigan
  • Ionia Correctional Facility
  • Carson City Correctional Facility
  • Central Michigan Correctional Facility
  • Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility
  • Newberry Correctional Facility
Minnesota
  • FCI Waseca
Mississippi
  • East Mississippi Correctional Facility
  • Wilkinson County Correctional Facility
  • Marshall County Correctional Facility
  • Walnut Grove Correctional Facility
  • Mississippi State Penitentiary
  • Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
  • South Mississippi Correctional Institution
Missouri
  • Crossroads Correctional Center; Jefferson City Correctional Center; Moberly Correctional Facility; Western Missouri Correctional Center; Potosi Correctional Center; Women's Eastern Reception
  • Diagnostic and Correctional Center; Southeast Correctional Center; South Central Correctional Center; Algoa Correctional Center; Chillicothe Correctional Center; Eastern Reception
  • Diagnostic and Correctional Center; Tipton Correctional Center
Montana
  • Montana State Prison
  • Montana’s Women's Prison
  • Pine Hills Correctional Facility
  • Riverside Special Needs Unit
  • Crossroads Correctional Facility
Nebraska
  • Omaha Correctional Center
  • Community Corrections Center-lincon
  • Tecumseh State Correctional Institution
  • Nebraska State Penitentiary
  • Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility
  • Douglas County Correctional Center
Nevada
  • Ely State Prison
  • High Desert State Prison
  • Lovelock Correctional Center
  • Southern Desert Correctional Center
  • Warm Springs Correctional Center
  • Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center
New Hampshire
  • New Hampshire State Prison
  • Concord State Prison
  • Strafford County House of Corrections
  • Grafton County House of Corrections
  • Hillsborough County Department of Corrections
  • Merrimack County Department of Corrections
  • The Sullivan County Department of Corrections
New Jersey
  • New Jersey State Prison
  • East Jersey State Prison
  • Southern State Correctional Facility
  • Bayside State Prison
  • Garden State Youth Correctional Facility
  • Northern State Prison
  • South Woods State Prison
New Mexico
  • The Guadalupe County Correctional Facility
  • The New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility
  • The Lea County Correctional Facility
  • The San Juan County Adult Detention Center
  • The Central New Mexico Correctional Facility
  • The Springer Correctional Facility
  • The Torrance County Detention Facility
New York
  • Rikers Island
  • Sing Sing Correctional Facility
  • Attica Prison
  • Onodaga County Justice Center
  • Dutchess County Jail
  • Erie County Correctional Facility
  • Greene County Jail
  • Great MEadow Correctional Facility
North Carolina
  • Columbus Correctional Institute
  • Lanesboro Correctional Institution
  • Scotland Correctional Institution
  • Tabor City Correctional Institution
  • Alexander Correctional Institution
North Dakota
  • North Dakota Youth Correctional Center
  • North Dakota State Penitentiary
  • James River Correctional Center
  • Missouri River Correctional Center
  • Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center
  • Williams County Correctional Center
  • Tompkins Rehabilitation and Corrections Center
Ohio
  • Toledo Correctional Institute
  • Lucasville Prison in Ohio
  • Cuyahoga County Jail
  • Dayton Correctional Facility
  • Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution
  • Lebanon Correctional Institute in Ohio
  • Ohio State Penitentiary
Oklahoma
  • Cimarron Correctional Facility
  • Great Plains Correctional Institution
  • Davis correctional facility
  • Mack Alford Correctional Center
  • Oklahoma State Penitentiary
  • Lexington Assessment and Reception Center
  • North Fork Correctional Center
Oregon
  • Oregon State Penitentiary
  • Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution
  • Snake River Correctional Institution
  • MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
  • Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
  • Federal Correctional Institution
  • Two Rivers Correctional Institution
Pennsylvania
  • SCI Fayette
  • SCI Camp Hill
  • SCI Coal Township
  • SCI Benner Township
  • SCI Rockview
  • SCI Forest
Rhode Island
  • Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility
  • State of Rhode Island Department of Corrections
  • State of Rhode Island Department of Corrections
  • John J. Moran Facility
  • Minimum Security Facility
  • Department Of Corrections: Women Facilities
South Carolina
  • Lee Correctional Institution
  • Kirkland Correctional Institution
  • Berkeley County Detention Center
  • McCormick Correctional Institution
  • Evans Correctional Institute
  • Richland County (Alvin S. Glenn) Detention Center
  • Perry Correctional Institution
South Dakota
  • South Dakota State Penitentiary
  • G. Norton Jameson Annex
  • Mike Durfee State Prison
  • South Dakota Women's Prison
  • Rapid City Community Work Center
  • Yankton Community Work Center
  • Hughes County Jail
Tennessee
  • Bledsoe County Correctional Complex
  • Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility
  • Morgan County Correctional Complex
  • Northeast Correctional Complex
  • Riverbend Maximum Security Institution
  • West Tennessee State Penitentiary
  • Tennessee Prison for Women
Texas
  • United States Penitentiary Beaumont (Jefferson County)
  • Wallace Pack Unit
  • Dolph Briscoe Unit
  • Terrell Unit
  • Wayne Scott Unit
  • George Beto Unit
  • Ferguson Unit
  • Ellis Unit
  • Huntsville Unit
  • Allan B Polunsky Unit
Utah
  • Ely State Prison
  • Utah State Prison
  • Timpanogos Women's Facility
  • Central Utah Correctional Facility
  • Uintah County Jail
  • Weber County Jail
  • Wasatch County Jail
  • Salt Lake Metro County Jail
Vermont
  • FCI Berlin
  • Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility
Virginia
  • Sussex II State Prison
  • Augusta Correctional Center
  • Green Rock Correctional Center
  • Indian Creek Correctional Center
  • Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women
  • Red Onion State Prison
  • Wallens Ridge State Prison
Washington
  • Washington Corrections Center
  • Washington State Penitentiary
  • Stafford Creek Corrections Center
  • Olympic Corrections Center
  • Monroe Correctional Complex
  • Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
  • Airway Heights Corrections Center
West Virginia
  • Mount Olive Correctional Complex
  • Pruntytown Correctional Center
  • Denmar Correctional Center
  • Lakin Correctional Center Jail
  • Martinsburg Correctional Center
  • Ohio County Correctional Center
  • St Marys Correctional Center
Wisconsin
  • Green Bay Correctional Institution
Wyoming
  • Wyoming State Penitentiary
  • Wyoming Honor Farm
  • Wyoming Women’s Center
  • Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution
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Worst Prisons by State 2024

Sources