Deadliest Prison Fights and Riots in History

Organized Prison Fights in Thailand

• 🥊 In Thailand, the "Prison Fight" program partners with the Department of Corrections to host Muay Thai and boxing tournaments for prisoners.
• ⛓️ This initiative is inspired by historical precedents where Thai soldiers fought for their freedom, and now offers inmates a chance at sentence reduction or even freedom through competition.
• ⚠️ The program is controversial, with critics questioning the logic of training violent offenders and releasing those most skilled at fighting back into society.

Deadly U.S. Prison Riot at Lee Correctional Institution

• 💥 A robbery gone wrong on April 15, 2018, at Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina, escalated into one of the deadliest prison fights in U.S. history.
• 🩸 The incident was fueled by gang rivalries (Bloods, Gangster Disciples, Crips) and a lack of security, leading to multiple stabbings and murders.
• 🚨 Factors contributing to the violence included understaffing, overcrowding, and unlocked security doors, resulting in seven inmate deaths and many injuries.

San Francisco Deputy-Led Brawls

• 🎭 In 2015, San Francisco County Jail No. 4 deputies, led by Scott Neu, forced inmates into "gladiator-style" fights for their own amusement.
• ⚖️ Inmates were coerced into fighting, with threats of assault and tasering, and offered minimal incentives like a hamburger.
• 🤕 Rules were minimal, focusing on not marking the face, and medical attention was discouraged, with deputies facing dropped charges and inmates receiving settlements.

Litoral Penitentiary Riots in Ecuador

• 💣 Tensions between gangs like Los Choneros, Los Lobos, and Los Tiguerones erupted into widespread violence at Litoral Penitentiary on September 28, 2021, following the death of a gang leader.
• 💥 The riot involved grenades, smuggled weapons, and explosions, leading to guards and cooks fleeing the facility.
• 💀 The prison, severely understaffed and overcrowded, became lawless, with gangs controlling inmate placement and carrying out brutal killings, resulting in at least 118 deaths.

Amazon Prison Riots in Brazil

• 🔪 In January 2017, a violent clash between the Familia do Norte (FDN) and First Capital Command (PCC) gangs at the Anisio Jobim Prison Complex in Brazil resulted in 56 deaths.
• ⛓️ The understaffed and overcrowded prison saw FDN members importing arms, killing rivals, taking hostages, and leading to an escape of 72 inmates from a linked facility.
• 🚨 The situation was deemed too unpredictable for authorities to intervene directly for 17 hours, highlighting the gangs' control over the prison.

The Tamara Prison Riot in Honduras

• 💥 In mid-2023, a violent confrontation between the Barrio 18 and MS-13 gangs at the Women's Center of Social Adaptation (Tamara Prison) in Honduras led to 46 deaths.
• 🔫 The riot involved significant weaponry, including pistols, an assault rifle, machine pistols, and grenades, with cells being set alight.
• 🚶‍♀️ Allegations suggest guard complicity in the violence, leading to the dismissal of guards and replacement with a special police unit, after which riots of similar scale ceased.