Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s trial has finally ended, with the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel found guilty on all 10 federal criminal counts against him.

Those inside the Brooklyn courtroom say that he offered no visible reaction, but he now knows that he will spend the rest of his life locked up in one of America’s prisons.

Whilst a spokesperson from the US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) declined to say which prison will house the notorious criminal, citing “safety and security reasons”, there are only a few facilities in America designed to detain criminals of Guzmán’s stature.

Given that he’s already made two high-profile escapes from so-called maximum security prisons, you can bet that he’ll be under close watch.

According to former New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Martin Horn, the best bet is USP Florence ADMAX (above), a “supermax” penitentiary about two hours south of Denver, Colorado.

Quartz reports:

To select a prison, federal authorities follow an elaborate process that considers a variety of factors, including a prisoner’s mental health needs and the likelihood of him targeting or being targeted by other inmates, says Horn, now a lecturer on corrections and criminal justice at the City University of New York. The likelihood of escape is also taken into account.

“Given his escape history, ADX Florence [below] is probably the most secure facility they have,” Horn says of Guzmán.

Regardless of where he winds up, Guzmán will likely receive very close scrutiny, adds Horn. His cell will probably be checked frequently to make sure nothing has been tampered with, and his personal belongings regularly inspected. Federal authorities will also monitor his communications, and he will likely be searched, shackled, and escorted by multiple officers every time he enters and leaves his living space.

After hearing about some of the cartel’s murder and torture methods, I have no sympathy.

Prisoners at USP Florence spend around 23 hours a day in their cells, and any incoming and outgoing mail is first inspected by guards.

There’s something rather Paarl-like about the dress code, which is colloquially referred to as ‘the Alcatraz of the Rockies’:

Upon their arrival, prisoners receive three khaki shirts, three pairs of khaki trousers, five pairs of boxer shorts, five pairs of socks, and a winter coat.

As for the food:

USP Florence inmates have their choice of a regular menu at mealtime, a no-meat option, a no-pork option, a low fat/low sodium option, or, upon approval from the prison chaplain, a “religious diet.” If they ever need medical attention, they are generally responsible for a $2 co-pay. And while prisoners may earn up to 54 days off their sentence each year for good behavior, there is no parole in the federal correctional system.

Renee Ladner, the fiancee of convicted killer and Florence supermax inmate Thomas Silverstein, describes the place as a “clean version of hell.”

El Chapo should fit right in, then.

Maybe he’ll strike up a friendship with some of the other notorious criminals who call Florence home, including Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, “shoe bomber” Richard Reid, and Ted Kaczynski, who is more commonly known as the Unabomber.

According to many reports, complaining about conditions inside the prison isn’t a great idea:

Inmates are allowed only two calls per month to numbers that have been pre-approved by prison staff, Ladner said in an email. In her experience, mail is routinely lost or withheld, visiting requests submitted by inmates’ families go missing, and “most complaints end up hurting the prisoner.”

After decades spent dishing out the worst punishment imaginable to ‘rats’, the tables have now been turned.

Snitches get stitches, yo.

El Chapo’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 25.

[source:quartz]