Life at Tamms Supermax Prison

Life at Tamms Supermax Prison

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In the mid-90s, prison systems faced major overcrowding issues. Gang violence was on the rise and politicians were getting tough on crime. So states began building harsher and more secure prisons called supermaxes. Illinois opened its first supermax at Tamms Correctional Center ten years ago this month. For Chicago Public Radio, Shannon Heffernan looked in to see how Tamms has worked over that decade.