Profiles some of the world's most infamous jails, from the Tower of London to Alcatraz

Alcatraz, the Maze, Rikers, Bangkwang, Sabaneta, ADX Florence - the names alone can chill the blood. Along with La Santé, Diyarbakir, Tadmor, and Carandiru, these are 10 of the toughest prisons in the world. Their walls have housed those guilty of some of the most heinous crimes in history - and frequently served as virtual torture chambers for those whose only crime is to fight for their political beliefs. Some have been the scene of massacres and other atrocities, while others house their inmates in conditions judged inhumane and degrading. Some are virtually run by murderous gangs of inmates, while others have played host to the most infamous names in criminal history. Some have closed their doors, while others operate to this day. But all 10 have one thing in common: They've all generated intense controversy.

Packed with hard-hitting facts, this booklet forms the perfect partner to the accompanying documentary series, Hard Time, as it probes the innermost workings of these 10 infamous prisons from all corners of the globe. It concludes with a section exploring "crime and punishment" much closer to home with a look at how the British penal system has changed down the centuries through profiles of four of London's most historic prisons: the Tower of London, Newgate, the Marshalsea, and Holloway.