A year ago, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Today, the former notorious drug kingpin is planning to file an appeal to get out of jail.

Guzman, who has spent his days and nights alone in a 7x12 feet concrete cell in Supermax, is working with his legal team to file an appeal that would overturn the guilty conviction. They plan to file it before the August 21 deadline, the CNN reported.

However, experts said his chances of getting out of maximum security is very slim. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent in charge Ray Donovan said the evidence they had against Guzman and the notoriety of the Sinaloa Cartel would likely reduce his chances of an appeal.

El Chapo's Guilty Verdict

On July 18, 2019, a jury found El Chapo guilty of 10 counts leveled against him. The charges included drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors called the former head of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel "ruthless and bloodthirsty."

Witnesses, who were called to give their testimonies during the trial, said Guzman ordered his men to torture or murder cartel enemies. At times, he would take part in the gruesome acts.

After two instances of him escaping prisons, the court ordered to convict him in Florence, Colorado's Supermax prison that officers said is inescapable. He was also ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

Living Conditions inside Supermax Prison

Just a two-hour drive from Denver, hundreds of the country's most dangerous criminals are held in the Supermax. The 37-acre compound houses that most high-profile inmates, including serial killers, cult leaders, and terrorists.

The federal supermax prison, which is also known as the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX), housed infamous criminals such as Boston bomber Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev. He and his late-brother used two pressure-cooker bombs that killed three and injured more than 250 at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

While the towering structures successfully keep prisoners behind bars, many human rights groups believed that the living conditions violate the criminals' basic human rights.

Inmates, including El Chapo, are locked in their cell 23 hours a day. They are denied human contact. Inmates pass the time by watching the television. Their rooms also have a 10-centimeter window. The small slot is aimed upwards so inmates can only see the sky and surrounding buildings.

Prisoners inside the federal supermax prison are not allowed to move without being escorted. They eat their meals alone inside their cells. Officials also conduct a headcount at least six times a day.

Inmates have access to religious services and educational programs, but the services are delivered to their cell via channels on the television or radios. This is to ensure their interaction with other people is very limited, NZ Herald reports.

A 2015 report by Amnesty International claimed that the prisoners were shackled to their beds for days. Sometimes, they were chained for weeks at a time. The harsh conditions inside the ADX earned it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the most secure prisons in the world.

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