Did you know that Colorado is home to one of the most terrifying supermax prisons in the country? Growing up in a Colorado town with a population primarily employed by our local prison, I knew that the Centennial State had some pretty big jails with filled with some pretty bad people, but I had no idea that one of them housed some of the most notorious killers in recent American history. Do you know which prison I am talking about?
Located in south-central Colorado is the town of Florence, which is home to nearly 4,000 residents, a charming downtown area, and…
Wikimedia Commons / Jeffrey Beall
…the notorious United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility (or ADX Florence).
Wikimedia Commons / Federal Bureau of Prisons
Nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” the ADX Florence is a supermax male prison that houses nearly 1,000 of the worst criminals in America, making it one of the most terrifying and deadly places in the country.
Wikimedia Commons / RicHard-59 Now, when we say that the ADX houses some of the worst of the worst, we are not exaggerating.
Florence is currently the home of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev…
Wikimedia Commons / United States Marshals Service While his name may not sound familiar, his photo and actions certainly are, as Tsarnaev and his brother killed three and injured 264 in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
…Ted Kaczynski…
Wikimedia Commons / George Bergman Unlike Tsarnayev, the name Ted Kaczynski should ring a bell, as the genius-level mathematician went on to become the infamous Unabomber, who injured 23 and killed three people via homemade bombs mailed to victims between 1978 and 1995.
…Terry Nichols…
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Department of Defense In 1995, Nichols and Timothy McVeigh (who was executed by lethal injection in 2001) killed 168 and injured 680 others after rigging a U-Haul to explode near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
…and José Padilla.
Wikimedia Commons / Source United States Department of Justice Also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir, Padilla is an American citizen who was arrested in 2002, tried in federal court, and convicted of criminal conspiracy for aiding individuals connected to al Qaeda in preparation for international terrorist attacks in 2007.
To get an inside look at this terrifying Colorado prison, watch this fascinating footage from CBS Boston:
Wikimedia Commons / Jeffrey Beall
Wikimedia Commons / Federal Bureau of Prisons
Wikimedia Commons / RicHard-59
Now, when we say that the ADX houses some of the worst of the worst, we are not exaggerating.
Wikimedia Commons / United States Marshals Service
While his name may not sound familiar, his photo and actions certainly are, as Tsarnaev and his brother killed three and injured 264 in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Wikimedia Commons / George Bergman
Unlike Tsarnayev, the name Ted Kaczynski should ring a bell, as the genius-level mathematician went on to become the infamous Unabomber, who injured 23 and killed three people via homemade bombs mailed to victims between 1978 and 1995.
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Department of Defense
In 1995, Nichols and Timothy McVeigh (who was executed by lethal injection in 2001) killed 168 and injured 680 others after rigging a U-Haul to explode near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Wikimedia Commons / Source United States Department of Justice
Also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir, Padilla is an American citizen who was arrested in 2002, tried in federal court, and convicted of criminal conspiracy for aiding individuals connected to al Qaeda in preparation for international terrorist attacks in 2007.
For even more Colorado true crime, click on The Story Of The Serial Killer Who Terrorized This Colorado Town Is Truly Frightening.
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