Inside abandoned £1.5million prison with unbreakable glass walls instead of bars
An abandoned £1.5 million prison was thought to have unbreakable walls while it was operational until the late 90s - until audacious prisoners escaped the inhuman conditions.
A collection of images released show the insides of the jail in Florida, US.
The detention centre was completed in April 1978 using mostly federal money, costing around £1.5million to complete.
It was built to house a maximum of 46 prisoners - 36 men, six women, and four prisoners in isolation cells.
A staff of 13 officers watched over prisoners, usually with three on duty at a time consisting of two male jailers and a matron.
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One image shows the inside the cells with very primitive bed frames and two small tables to dine on.
Large open areas throughout the prison where inmates could meet (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)Another image shows off the "unbreakable" glass throughout the prison that designers favoured over traditional bars on the windows and walls throughout the common areas.
The detention centre was considered state-of-the-art as it had no bars, but rather "unbreakable" glass walls, central heating, air conditioning and prisoners had space, sunlight and individual cells available to them.
For some this jail was said to have been more of a hotel.
Cells with bunk beds and graffiti on the wall (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)The jail was designed by the deputy county sheriff who has spent eight-years working in the jail prior to its current refurbishment, and therefore felt he knew how he could make life better for the prisoners.
It is said once completed the jail became more like a nightmare - with overcrowding, beds falling off the walls, inmates not receiving medical care for days, fittings being turned into weapons and multiple escapes.
Inside the cells shows a bunk bed and window where inmates were kept (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)The prison was part of a class action lawsuit brought by inmates in 1996 for all the hazards throughout the building. It was eventually closed as a result within a few years.
This prolific prison was captured by urban explorer Leland Kent also known as Abandoned Southeast in Florida, US.
"County commissioners were able to obtain a $1.4 million grant and kicked in $50,000 themselves to build the jail," said Leland on his blog.
The control panel in the detention centre allowed the wardens to see every cell (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)"According to a 1985 local news article, a pair of prisoners in adjoining cells broke through the concrete block wall and scaled the 10-foot barbed wire fence to escape the detention centre.
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"They were arrested after previously escaping from a prison in central Florida. The escapees put the broken blocks under covers on their beds to make it look like they were sleeping.
"The two were later discovered missing the following morning during a head count. They stole a pickup truck about a half mile away from the jail and got away.
The jail was designed by a past prisoner that experienced the 1930s jail (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)"In the 1990s, the Florida Department of Corrections made several complaints to the county concerning overcrowding and maintenance problems, including a leaky roof.
"In 1996, a class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court against the county on behalf of all the inmates at the jail.
"Within a few years, this building was permanently closed, and a larger, more modern facility was built just a few miles away. There are currently no plans for the old jail."
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