The Old Joliet Prison

The Old Joliet Prison. . , The Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet (1858-2002) is synonymous with the City of Joliet, incorporated only six years prior to the Prison in 1852. Through the years, it has been known as Joliet Correctional Center, Collins Street Prison, the Joliet State Penitentiary, and is now known simply as the Old Joliet Prison. The long-standing presence of the prison has solidified Joliet's reputation as America's “Prison City.” , The Old Joliet Prison was born out of a desire for reform. Despite its long history as an institution of incarceration, Joliet was not the first state penitentiary in Illinois. For nearly fifteen years following Illinois' statehood, criminal justice was dispensed at the local level until a State penitentiary was erected in the southern city of Alton in 1833, atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The Alton Penitentiary was a privately run prison with virtually no state oversight, its operations leased out to a private individual. In her quest to reform so-called “charitable” institutions such as prisons and asylums throughout America, Dorothea Dix inspected the Alton prison in 1847 and was appalled by the conditions there. Despite many physical abuses, she was particularly outraged that the prisoners were not even afforded the dignity to be seated while eating their meals. Following Dix's report to the State Legislature, plans began for the State to construct a new penitentiary in Joliet. During this period, prison oversight improved somewhat by the establishment of a semi-autonomous group of three commissioners, appointed by the Governor, who reported to the Illinois General Assembly. , Construction of the Old Joliet Prison began with what is now called the “North Seg” Building (also called “The Tombs” by corrections officers), completed in the fall of 1857. On May 22, 1858, fifty-three prisoners –fifty men and three women – departed Alton for Joliet by train and arrived to begin the work of constructing the prison around themselves using stone quarried just yards away. The Administration Building and Cellhouses – described as resembling a “castle on the Rhine” by Nathan Leopold – were completed by 1865. , The design of the prison was intentionally foreboding. It was a powerful structure designed to frighten and intimidate those inside and outside the walls, representing a physical manifestation of the power of the State. The distinctive castellated Gothic architecture was the work of W.W. Boyington and Otis Wheelock. Boyington's obituary described him as Chicago's first architect, and his offices were lost not once, but twice to fire in 1871 and 1873. Boyington was also a prolific user of Joliet Limestone, which was also used in his most famous building, the iconic Chicago Water Tower. , The Old Joliet Prison is closely identified with, and sometimes mistaken for, its sister facility, the much larger and still active Stateville Penitentiary, famous for its distinctive panopticon cellhouses. Stateville is located approximately five miles northwest on Old Route 66, the site of the former Prison farm, in what is now the Village of Crest Hill. It was opened by 1925 and was supposed to have closed the Old Joliet Prison permanently, but despite many attempts and announcements, the Old Prison remained open and populated by maximum security inmates until early 2002. The building located to the east of Collins Street was the first women's penitentiary in the State of Illinois, opened in 1896. Prior to this, women inmates were housed in the upper floors of the Administration Building. The Prison property also contains nearly 130 acres of green space formerly occupied by the quarries. The conveyor building, which transported and crushed the stone removed [from] the quarry, remains standing. Joliet is also home to an additional correctional facility which services juvenile offenders located in the southern portion of the city. , Inside the Walls: The Old Joliet Prison from Above , The following images show the evolving built environment within the walls of the Old Joliet Prison through its nearly 150 year history. The changing architecture also represents changing philosophies regarding the treatment of prisoners. The Prison began as a near-complete industrial facility in which convicts were leased to private entities who operated various manufacturing shops. By the 1950s, evolving attitudes placed greater emphasis on education, spiritual well-being, and work which benefitted State interests rather than private enterprise., [Captions (top to bottom)] , Aerial engraving 1890 . Prison aerial 1931 . Prison aerial 1950 . Prison aerial 1992