Holding 1400 of America’s most dangerous prisoners, the North Branch Correctional Institution is one of the most secure prisons in the world. Over two thirds of the men at the prison have killed and most dream of escape. They are locked up in cells able to withstand bomb blasts and the prison is brimming with technology designed to keep them safe from each other. This film explores how the prison was made possible through a series of four historic engineering breakthroughs. We analyse the inner workings of four landmark prisons, including the formidable Tower of London and infamous Alcatraz Island. Each features a major technological innovation that allowed engineers to build more secure prisons, through development of perimeter fortifications, layers of surveillance, and impenetrable cell design. Using computer generated animation we reveal the incredible stories behind these prisons and the inventions that have enabled them to become more secure. Four ingenious leaps forward that enabled prisons to become SAFER, TOUGHER, and BIGGER!

00:00 Introduction
02:51 Fortification – Tower of London
13:52 Surveillance – Eastern State Penitentiary
22:30 Cells – Alcatraz Island
36:17 Riot Control – North Branch Correctional Institution

Episode from the “Big Bigger Biggest” documentary series exploring the engineering breakthroughs that have enabled us to develop some of the largest structures in existence.

Watch part 2 of the documentary here – https://youtu.be/Q1wzMjmPlOU

Subscribe to Element 18 – https://bit.ly/337R2uO