Azkaban

"They don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most go mad within weeks."

- Remus Lupin on Azkaban

Azkaban is a wizarding prison located on an island in the North Sea. Presumably, this prison is only used by magical Britain, as there are other wizarding prisons elsewhere such as Nurmengard. Using certain charms, the prison is hidden from the actual world. It is widely regarded as a horrible place to be, given that its guards, Dementors, cause great suffering to those in their proximity. Most prisoners eventually go insane, and eventually stop eating to die.

Pre-1998
Azkaban was guarded by Dementors until most of them revolted and joined Lord Voldemort in summer of 1995. A large number of incarcerated Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, escaped to rejoin their master in 1996 and 1997 respectively because of this.

Prior to the Dementors' revolt, the only persons ever to escape the prison were Sirius Black and Barty Crouch Jr, in 1993 and 1982, respectively. Sirius was able to escape by changing into his Animagus form of a dog ; Barty Crouch Jr. was smuggled out by his father, Barty Crouch Sr., and replaced by his dying mother using Polyjuice Potion. There is a graveyard outside the wall of Azkaban where the Dementors bury those who die.

After the War
After the end of the Second Wizarding War and Kingsley Shacklebolt’s appointment as Minister for Magic in 1998, Dementors were no longer employed as guards of Azkaban. This is likely because they had proven to be untrustworthy and because the depression and madness their presence causes in prisoners was held to be inhumane. Presumably, other security measures were taken to guard the prisoners.

Known Azkaban Convicts
"We have confirmed that ten high-security prisoners, in the early hours of yesterday evening, did escape. And of course, the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban; notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of the escapee Bellatrix Lestrange."

- Cornelius Fudge interview to the Daily Prophet about the Azkaban Mass Breakout of January 1996

Etymology
The name Azkaban may be inspired by the famous San Francisco federal prison Alcatraz. It is also located on an island and has had many notorious criminals for inmates, such as Al Capone.

Behind the scenes

 * There is an added scene in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in which the 1996 mass breakout at Azkaban is shown.
 * The prison is depicted as a tall, three-sided tower in the film adaptation, rather than the four-sided tower from the books.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Notes and referencs
Azkaban Azkaban Азкабан