Jose Padilla Begins Prison Term at Supermax

After being convicted of terrorism-related offenses in Federal Court and sentenced to 17 years in prison, accused “dirty bomber” Jose Padilla was sent on Thursday to the notorious Supermax prison to serve out his sentence for separate terrorism-related offenses. ^[1]

Supermax, the ultra-high security facility in Florence, CO, is best known for its strict isolation and infamous occupants, including fellow convicted terror suspects Zacarias Moussaoui, Shek Omar Abdel-Rahman, and “Shoebomber” Richard Reid, as well as “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, former FBI Agent Robert Hanssen, and Oklahoma Bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols. Padilla’s attorney, Michael Caruso, called Supermax “a living hell,”^[2] with inmates spending 23 hours a day in their 7-by-12-foot cells, and all of that time spent in solitary confinement. Caruso noted that most other persons convicted of supporting terrorism have not be ordered to serve under such conditions, calling the decision “yet another example of Jose being treated differently and in a more punitive fashion than others who have been accused of similar crimes. I genuinely fear that Jose's mental health will erode to an even greater degree."^[3]

Padilla was sentenced in January to 17 years in prison, but with time served and good behavior, he is scheduled to be released as early as 2021. Padilla was arrested in 2002 at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, accused with plotting to detonate a “dirty bomb” in support of al Qaeda, but these charges were not presented in his federal trial.^[4] Instead, Padilla was convicted, along with two others, of sending money, recruits and supplies to Islamic extremist groups. Padilla, who is a US citizen, was held in a military jail for over three years before being brought to trial. Prior to his trial, Padilla filed numerous challenges to his continued detention, and also claimed he had been tortured while being held in a Navy brig. He continues to appeal both his conviction and sentence.^[5]

The case of Jose Padilla has been covered extensively in the Terrorism Crimes Blog, with additional information on his specific case found here.


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[1] Convicted Terrorism Platter Padilla Sent to ‘Supermax’ Prison, Associated Press, April 18, 2008 (available at www.online.wsj.com).

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.