FLORENCE, CO. (THECOUNT) — Convicted Mexican drug lord, El Chapo, is likely headed to USP Florence, in Florence, Colorado, reportedly the most secure prison in America.
ADX Florence, AKA, SUPERMAX, is a 37-acre (15 ha), 490-bed complex at 5880 CO-67, Florence, Colorado, about 100 miles south of Denver and 40 miles (64 km) south of Colorado Springs. It is one part of the Florence Federal Correctional Complex (FFCC) which comprises three correctional facilities, each with a different security rating.
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Joaquín Guzmán Loera will spend a majority of his time above ground, however, part of the prison is located underground serving as a subterranean corridor that links cellblocks to the lobby.
Inmates spend 23 hours a day locked in their cells and are escorted by a minimum of three officers for their five hours of private recreation per week. Each cell has a desk, a stool, and a bed, which are almost entirely made out of poured concrete, as well as a toilet that shuts off if blocked, a shower that runs on a timer to prevent flooding, and a sink lacking a potentially dangerous tap.
Rooms may also be fitted with polished steel mirrors bolted to the wall, an electric light that can be shut off only remotely, a radio, and on rare occasions, a black-and-white television that shows recreational, educational, and religious programming. In addition, all cells are soundproofed to prevent prisoners from communicating with each other via Morse code.
The 1⁄3-by-4-foot windows are designed to prevent inmates from knowing their specific location within the complex because they can see only the sky and roof through them, making it virtually impossible to plan an escape. Inmates exercise in a concrete pit resembling an empty swimming pool, also designed to prevent them from knowing their location in the facility. The pit is only large enough for a prisoner to walk 10 steps in a straight line, or 31 steps in a circle.
Telecommunication with the outside world is forbidden, and food is hand-delivered by correction officers. However, inmates sent here from other prisons can potentially be allowed to eat in a shared dining room. The prison as a whole contains a multitude of motion detectors and cameras, and 1,400 remote-controlled steel doors. Officers in the prison’s control center monitor inmates 24 hours a day and can activate a “panic button” that instantly closes every door in the facility should an escape attempt be suspected. Pressure pads and 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) razor wire fences surround the perimeter, which is patrolled by heavily armed officers. In the case of inmates who are deemed to be extreme security risks, the center of the prison houses an area known as the “Z-Unit”. Each of the three Z-Unit cells is equipped with a full set of body restraints that are built directly into the concrete bed, as is true for every cell in the facility.
Quick geo facts: Florence is a Statutory City located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,881 at the 2010 census, up from 3,653 in 2000.