Alderson Federal Prison Camp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Location | Alderson, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Minimum (Female) |
| Capacity | 1,050 |
| Opened | 1927 |
Alderson Federal Prison Camp, also known as Federal Prison Camp, Alderson or FPC Alderson, is a federal prison in the United States for minimum-security female inmates. The prison is a prison camp with a population of around 1,050 and is located on the Monroe County side of the Greenbrier River in the rural town of Alderson in southeast West Virginia, about 270 miles (430 km) southwest of Washington, DC. Both Florence Harding and Eleanor Roosevelt, former and future First Ladies, and Mabel Walker Willebrandt, the Assistant U.S. Attorney General, first encouraged its establishment.
FPC Alderson opened in 1927 as the Federal Industrial Institution for Women and was the first federal prison for women. The camp comprises 105 acres (0.42 km2; 0.164 sq mi) of rolling hills. While there are no metal fences surrounding the camp, prisoners have schedules and must work. Free time is spent playing volleyball, softball, or tennis.
Most of the inmates at FPC Alderson have been convicted of non-violent or white-collar crime. They sleep in bunk beds in dormitories or in cottages.
The prison is nicknamed "Camp Cupcake" by most residents and the media.[1] It was called "Yale" by one-time attendee Martha Stewart.[2]
[edit] Notable inmates
- Lolita Lebrón - imprisoned 1954–1979
- Velvalee Dickinson - imprisoned 1944–1951
- Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - imprisoned 1979–1987 (escaped briefly)
- Billie Holiday - imprisoned 1947–1948
- Sara Jane Moore - imprisoned 1975–1978, 1979 (escaped briefly)
- Meg Scott Phipps- imprisoned 2004–2007
- Iva Toguri D'Aquino (aka Tokyo Rose) - imprisoned 1949–1956
- Mildred Gillars (aka Axis Sally) - imprisoned 1949–1961
- Martha Stewart - imprisoned 2004–2005
- Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (leftist leader and co-founder of ACLU) - imprisoned 1955–57
- Esther Reed imprisoned 2008-current
[edit] References
- ^ Thompson, Anne. "Ultimate planner set to lose control of her life" NBC News, 7 October 2004, retrieved on 25 April 2009.
- ^ de Vries, Lloyd. "How Martha Coped At 'Yale'" CBS News, 20 September 2005, retrieved on 25 April 2009.
- Marks, Alexandra (2004-10-08). "The prison that Martha Stewart will call home". The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1008/p01s01-usju.html.
[edit] External links
