The penal colony of Cayenne (French: Bagne de Cayenne), commonly known as Devil's Island (Île du Diable), was a famous prison of the 19th and 20th centuries. It operated at several locations in French Guiana. Opened in 1852, it is notorious for being used for internal exile of French political prisoners during that period, the most famous of which was Captain Alfred Dreyfus. It is also famous -some would say notorious- for its harsh treatment of the worst of the worst criminals of the French empire. The system was closed down in 1953.