Devil's Island

The Devil's Island is an island located off the cost of the French Guiana.Here was one of the most infamous and notorious French Penal colonies that ever existed during the late 1800- the early 1900's.The inmates of this prison comprised everything from political prisoners to hardened thieves and murderers .A great many of the more than 80,000 prisoners sent to the harsh conditions at disease-infested Devil's Island were never seen again. Other than by boat, the only way

out was through a dense jungle and very few convicts ever managed to escape.
If a prisoner was sentenced to a term of less than eight years, he had to spend an equal period of time in French Guiana; if his sentence was more than eight years, he had to remain in the colony permanently. After 1885, only criminals with sentences of more than eight years were sent to Devil's Island. Those prisoners who were liberated earned their passage home by working in the colony.
The climate in the settlement proved so unhealthful that many prisoners died.These factors combined to make Devil's Island known as a place from which there was no return.The river Maroni situated around the island is know to be infested with piranhas.No one knows how many convicts fell victim to the piranhas of the Maroni, but even this horror did not prevent them from trying to swim the river. Others were picked clean by army ants in the jungle; several were cannibalized by fellow escapees.
Now just like me you'd wonder...What a place this must have been to drive men into such desperate feats !
Check out the a few pics of the penal settlement.
From Left to right-the hospital ward,the toilets,prison cell