A prison island is an island housing a prison. Islands have usually been used as websites of prisons throughout history resulting from their pure isolation preventing escape.[1][2]

Prison islands by country
[edit]

Oceania
[edit]

Christmas Island, location of Christmas Island Detention Centre which homes folks who have entered Australia as illegal immigrants. Processing centre to determine individuals genuinely searching for asylum and return those who will not be.[3]

Cockatoo Island, use as prison started in 1839

Great Palm Island, Aboriginal prison (Palm Island Aboriginal Settlement)

Los Negros Island (Papua New Guinea), site of Manus Regional Processing Centre from 2001 to 2017

Norfolk Island, penal colony from 1788 to 1814

Pinchgut Island, prison in the 1790s

Rottnest Island, Aboriginal prison from 1838 to 1931

St Helena Island, prison from 1867 to 1933

Sarah Island and neighboring Grummet Island

Bahrain
[edit]

Jidda Island, prison from 1930 till the 1970s

Bulgaria
[edit]

St. Anastasia Island, used as a prison island for political prisoners between 1925 and 1940

Canada
[edit]

Georges Island, prison throughout the Seven Years’ Battle and American Revolution

Melville Island, prison from 1793 to 1815 and 1856 to the thirties

Channel Islands
[edit]

Alderney, 1940-1945, 4 camps constructed through the German occupation of the Channel Islands: two camps of “volunteer” staff (Lager Borkum, Lager Norderney) and two subcamps of Neuengamme concentration camp (Lager Helgoland, Lager Sylt). European pressured labourers have been made to build fortifications on the island

China
[edit]

Dongguan Prison occupies most of Xinzhou, an island within the East River

Colombia
[edit]

Gorgona Island, prison from 1959 to 1984

Costa Rica
[edit]

San Lucas Island, prison from 1873 to 1991

Croatia
[edit]

Goli otok, location of the prison and torture camp for political dissidents in SFR Yugoslavia from 1949 to 1988

Eritrea
[edit]

Nakura, colonial Italian Nocra prison camp

Fiji
[edit]

Nukulau, prison from 2000 to 2006

France
[edit]

Île Royale, 1852-1952, part of the Devil’s Island penal colony

Satan’s Island (Kourou), 1852-1952, part of the Devil’s Island penal colony

Saint-Joseph Island, 1852-1952, a part of the Satan’s Island penal colony

Île Sainte-Marguerite, 1600s-1900s

Île d’Yeu, 1945-1951, used to imprison Philippe Pétain, collaborationist chief of Vichy France.

Château d’If, 17th century-1890, well-known as a setting for The Depend of Monte Cristo

Greece
[edit]

Agios Efstratios,

Gyaros, prison and torture camp after the Greek Civil Warfare

Makronisos, political prison from 1920s to 1970s

Hong Kong
[edit]

Hei Ling Chau

Hei Ling Chau Addiction Remedy Centre, 1975-current

Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution, 1994-current

Lai Solar Correctional Institution, 1984-current

Nei Kwu Correctional Establishment, 2002-present

Tai A Chau

Tai A Chau Detention Centre, 1991-96

India
[edit]

Ross Island, prison from 1858 to 1945

Viper Island, former British prison

Indonesia
[edit]

Buru, prison in 1960s-1970s

Nusa Kambangan, notorious prison island off the southern coast of Java, containing quite a few prisons

Ireland
[edit]

Dalkey Island, used in the tenth century as a holding space for slaves prior to sale by the Vikings of Dublin

Spike Island, County Cork, a prison from as early as the seventeenth century (current structure is an 18th-century bastion fort named Fort Mitchel). It closed in 2004. Is now a museum.

Isle of Man
[edit]

Hutchinson Internment Camp, 1940-1945, in the southeast of the Isle of Man. Held Austrian and German internees till 1944, when it became a POW camp

Italy
[edit]

Asinara, prison from World War I till 1997

Elba, held Napoleon from 1814 to 1815

Gorgona, site of Gorgona Agricultural Penal Colony since 1869

Pianosa, prison from 1856 to 1998

Ponza, prison throughout Fascist era

Santo Stefano Island, prison from 1797 to 1965; ‘Italy’s Alcatraz’

Ustica, prison from Fascist period until the 1950s

Japan
[edit]

Hachijō-jima, prison till the Meiji Restoration

Kami-shima, prison during the Edo interval

Madagascar
[edit]

Nosy Lava

Malaysia
[edit]

Jerejak Island, location of the Jerejak Rehabilitation Centre from 1969 to 1993; known as the ‘Alcatraz of Malaysia’

Maldives
[edit]

Dhoonidhoo

Mexico
[edit]

Islas Marías, site of Islas Marías Federal Prison from 1905 to 2019

Montenegro
[edit]

Grmožur, a fortified islet in Lake Skadar which served as a prison

Mamula, location of the Fascist Italian concentration camp, from 1942 to 1945

Namibia
[edit]

Shark Island focus camp, 1905-1907, used through the Herero and Nama genocide

New Zealand
[edit]

Motuihe Island, World War I internment camp well-known for holding Felix von Luckner

Norway
[edit]

Bastøy Island, liberal prison begun in 1982

Munkholmen

Panama
[edit]

Coiba, prison from 1919 to 2004

Peru
[edit]

El Frontón, prison from 1917 to 1980s

San Lorenzo Island, momentary prison in the 1990s

Portugal
[edit]

Santiago, Cape Verde, site of Tarrafal concentration camp from 1936 to 1974

Russia
[edit]

Mudyug Island, British/French prison camp close to Arkhangelsk

Nazino Island, site of mass deportation and homicide in 1933

Ognenny Ostrov, location of Vologodskiy Pyatak prison since 1917

Solovetsky Islands, site of Solovki prison camp Gulag

Trofimovsk Island, deportation site of Lithuanians and Finns in the Lena River delta

Saint Helena
[edit]

Saint Helena, famously held Napoleon; held prisoners in the course of the Second Anglo-Boer Warfare

Seychelles
[edit]

Coëtivy Island

Marie Louise Island, from 2012 to 2017

Singapore
[edit]

Pulau Senang, prison from 1960 to 1964

South Africa
[edit]

Robben Island, location of Robben Island Prison from 1961 to 1996. The Island was used to incarcerate political prisoners as early because the seventeenth Century, and later through the Xhosa Wars

South Korea
[edit]

Geojedo, active through the Korean War; Geoje POW camp

Syria
[edit]

Arwad, prison beneath French colonial rule

Taiwan
[edit]

Inexperienced Island, prison during Taiwan’s period of martial law

Tanzania
[edit]

Changuu, referred to as ‘Prison Island’; held rebellious slaves in 1860s

Timor Leste
[edit]

Atauro, used as prison by Portugal and Indonesia

Trinidad and Tobago
[edit]

Carrera Island, prison since the late 19th century

Tonga
[edit]

ʻAtā, prison since 2001

Thailand
[edit]

Ko Tao Between 1943 and 1944, Koh Tao was used as a political prison.

Turkey
[edit]

Hapishane Adası, former Roman prison

İmralı island, location of a prison since 1935[4]

United Kingdom and Ireland
[edit]

Bass Rock, castle used as a prison from fifteenth century to 18th century

Drake’s Island, prison within the 17th century

Inishbofin, the star fort on the island was used as a prison for Catholic priests through the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland

Jail Island, prison within the 1600s

Spike Island, County Cork, from 1847 to 2004. Part of Treaty Ports

United States
[edit]

Alcatraz Island, location of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary from 1934 till 1963

Belle Isle, prison camp (Confederate) during the American Civil Struggle

Castle Island, prison within the 18th century

Deer Island, location of Deer Island Prison, closed in 1991

Diego Garcia, overseas territory of the United Kingdom believed to be a CIA black site circa 2005

Dry Tortugas/Backyard Key, prison on Fort Jefferson throughout and after the American Civil War

Governors Island

Hart Island, prison from 1865 to 1967

Johnson’s Island, prison camp (Union) during the American Civil War

Kahoʻolawe, Hawaiian penal colony from 1830 to 1853

McNeil Island, location of McNeil Island Corrections Middle from 1875 to 2011

Rikers Island, location of new York City’s important jail advanced

Rock Island, prison camp (Union) during the American Civil War

Roosevelt Island (formerly Blackwell’s Island), prison within the nineteenth century

Terminal Island, a low safety federal prison

Vietnam
[edit]

Côn Sơn Island, French colonial and South Vietnamese prison

Prison islands in fiction
[edit]

The Rely of Monte Cristo (1846), Château d’If

Red Pawn (1932)

The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936), Dry Tortugas

I was a Prisoner on Devil’s Island (1941), Devil’s Island

Isle of Missing Males (1942), Caruba

Wonder Girl (1942)

20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea (1954), Rura Penthe

Vanji Kottai Valipan (1958)

The Adventures of Batman (1968), Satan Island

Papillon (1969), Satan’s Island

Onna-rō Hizu (1970)

This Earth of Mankind (1980), Buru

Escape from New York (1981), Manhattan

Deliver ‘Em Back Alive (1982), Kampoon

Touch the Satan (1982), Belle Isle

Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982)

The Fall Man (1983), Satan’s Island

Raiders of the Dwelling Lifeless (1986)

The Uplift Struggle (1987)

Superman vol. 2 (1987), Stryker’s Island

Island of Fire (1990)

Ravage 2099 (1992), Hellrock, New York

No Escape (1994), Absolom

Green Lantern (1994), Slabside Island

Venus Rising (1995)

Road Sharks (1995)

The Rock (1996), Alcatraz

Escape from L.A. (1996), Los Angeles

Dark Savior (1996)

Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva (1996)

Riven (1997)

A Scare at Bedtime (1998), Gap Island

Xena: Warrior Princess (1999)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Azkaban

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (1999), Inexperienced Dolphin Street Prison, aka “The Aquarium”, Florida

Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (2000), Rockfort Island in the Southern Ocean

Sonic Journey 2 (2001), Prison Island

Captain Nemo: The Improbable History of a Dark Genius (2002), Rura Penthe

Ghosthunter (2003), Satan’s Scar Penitentiary

Monsieur N. (2003), Saint Helena

Eberron (2004), Dreadhold

Sonic X (2004)

The Suffering (2004), Carnate Island, Maryland

A Feast for Crows (2005), Ghaston Gray

Seed (2007)

Poptropica (2007)

The Inmates of Summer season, SpongeBob SquarePants (2007), Inferno Island

Airman (2008), Little Saltee

Golgo 13 (2008), Pandora Island

NoviCraft (2008)

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008), Minera Prison Island

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2008), Boiling Rock

Superjail! (2008), Superjail Island

Xenoblade Chronicles (2010), Prison Island

Mazinkaizer SKL (2010)

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (2010)

Brooklyn With out Limits (2010), Usa

Dead Island (2011)

Arrow (2012), Purgatory

Iris II: New Technology (2013)

May & Magic X: Legacy (2014), Fort Laegaire

Gotham (2015)

Prisoner 489 (2015)

Kaijumax (2015)

Mysterious Joker (2015), Demon’s Heaven

Tales of Zestiria the X (2016)

Divinity: Original Sin II (2017), Fort Joy

Rage of Bahamut (2017),

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (2018), Destiny’s Finish

Revenger (2018)

Dream SMP (2020), Pandora’s Vault

One Shot (2021)

Pennyworth (2022), Hebrides

The Dangerous Guys (2022), Super Ultra Loopy Max, Los Angeles

Diablo Immortal (2022), Stormpoint

Octopath Traveler II (2023), Frigit Isle

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film) (2024)

^ “Archived copy”. Archived from the unique on 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2017-11-10.cite internet: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

^ “Ten Infamous Islands of Exile | Historical past | Smithsonian Journal”.

^ “Final island prison in U.S. Closes”. Archived from the unique on April 4, 2011.

^ Ankara, Chris Morris in (1999-02-20). “Turkey makes certain its prison island is deserted for a brand new Kurdish inmate”. the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-06-09.

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Prison islands

CS1 maint: archived copy as title

This web page was last edited on 23 April 2026, at 14:20 (UTC).

Prison island

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