The Beersheba prison complex was established in 1970 to detain Palestinian prisoners, and it is located close to the city of Beersheba in Southern Palestine. The site consists of four prisons, each separated from one another: Ohli Kedar and Eshel for security prisoners, Dekel for criminal prisoners, and Ayala which was founded to become the first private prison. Alya was shut down by a Supreme Court decision. The Beersheba complex is used for isolating prisoners in specific cases such as hunger strikes.  Together the four prisons can accommodate hundreds of detainees. In 1984, all security prisoners were deported to other prisons and detention centers, leaving Beersheba as a site for criminal prisoners only. Though after 1987, a new isolation section was established at Beersheba by transforming the existing sections 7 & 8 to isolation sections, as well as returning to imprisoning Palestinian security prisoners in regular cells. Other sections continue to be used for both Arab and Jewish criminals.