The First Illinois State Penitentiary

The First Illinois State Penitentiary. . , The Illinois State Penitentiary at Alton was the first institution built with public funds in Illinois. Previously, prisoners sentenced in county courts were incarcerated in crude buildings, often constructed of logs that were inadequate for the secure housing of prisoners. The Illinois General Assembly acted in 1827 to secure a state penitentiary with funds appropriated. With the encouragement of Governor John Reynolds, a site was selected at Alton. , After the selection of Alton as the site of a penitentiary, William Russell, an Alton property owner, donated 10 acres to the state for its construction. An additional two acres were purchased approximately two miles north of this site, in an area called Buck Inn, for use as a burial ground for inmates who died in prison. When the penitentiary opened in 1833 there were 24 cells. In 1846 an additional 96 cells were added. By 1855 there were 296 cells. , The location of the prison was less than ideal. The southern wall was within eight feet of the high water line of the Mississippi River. The prison yard was not paved and had very poor drainage and became a muddy, flooded mess during heavy rains. The prison hospital was located in a basement without windows and it flooded easily. Sanitary conditions in the prison were made worse by the lack of an on-site well. Water was collected from a nearby stream in barrels and transported into the prison. Prisoners had no bathing privileges. , In 1847, Dorothea Dix, famed social reformer, visited the prison and reported to the legislature that conditions at the prison were deplorable. She stated, "No outlay of money can convert this prison into a secure, commodious or durable establishment.” By 1857, the legislature saw the need to replace the institution. Plans were made to construct a new prison at Joliet, selected because the majority of inmates were from Cook County. The first prisoners were transferred to Joliet in 1857 to begin work on construction. The last prisoners were transferred Joliet in 1860., Wardens of the Illinois State Penitentiary at Alton , J.C. Bruen, 1833 - 1837 . Ben S. Enlow, 1837 - 1840 . Isaac Greathouse, 1840 - 1842 . Nathaniel Buckmaster, 1842 - 1846 . Samuel A. Buckmaster, 1846 - 1860, Prisoner Population ,

1837: 30 , 1840: 89 , 1842: 131 , 1849: 118 , 1851: 170 , 1853: 217 , 1855: 332 , 1859: 189

, Contrasting Sentences , Note the sentences imposed on two men from Sangamon County and brought to the prison on the same day William Moffett is sentenced to 8 month for manslaughter while Isaac Bell is sentenced to five years for "horse stealing"., Mr. Bell proficiency as horse thief is noted at the bottom of the page: "Escaped and stole the Warden's horse Dec 9, 1838." , I.S.P. Ledger Page 1 , The first prisoner was William Hess, a 16-year-old burglar from Greene County. The second prisoner stayed for just one month.