Washington State Penitentiary
| Location | Walla Walla, Washington |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°04′45″N 118°21′32″W / 46.07918°N 118.35886°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Maximum, Close, Medium, Minimum |
| Capacity | 1,988 as of June 2008 |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Managed by | Washington State Department of Corrections |
| Director | Steve Sinclair, Superintendent |
Washington State Penitentiary (also called the Walla Walla State Penitentiary) is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Walla Walla, Washington. With an operating capacity of 2200, it is the second largest prison in the state (after Coyote Ridge Corrections Center) and is surrounded by wheat fields.
It is the site of Washington State's death row and where executions are carried out. Methods for execution are lethal injection and hanging.
It is located at 1313 N. 13th Avenue and is commonly known as "the Walls" among inmates of the Washington Department of Corrections. The penitentiary is sometimes known as Concrete Mama, from a book with the same title, by Ethan Hoffman and John McCoy.
The penitentiary was the subject of the song "Walla Walla" by American punk rock band The Offspring.
Contents |
Notable inmates [edit]
- Gary Ridgway, convicted for the Green River killings around the Seattle/Tacoma area.
- Kenneth Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler.
- David Lewis Rice, convicted spree killer.
- Colton Harris-Moore, Famous thief, known as the "Barefoot Bandit", responsible for over 100 robberies and break ins.
- Robert Lee Yates, American serial killer from Spokane, WA.
History [edit]
Over a one year period, starting in March 2002, more than one hundred inmates and staff at the Washington State Penitentiary were infected with Campylobacter jejuni. During this period, five clusters of the infection were identified, and genetic testing indicated that all of the bacteria were indistinguishable from each other. The source of this outbreak is not known, but contamination via pigeon feces, as well as unsafe food handling procedures, were examined.[1][clarification needed]
Organization [edit]
The penitentiary has three groups:
- the Low Crime Facility: 30–60 years
- the Medium Crime Facility: 50–life
- the High Crime Facility: life–death row
See also [edit]
- Washington State Department of Corrections
- List of law enforcement agencies in Washington
- List of United States state correction agencies
- List of U.S. state prisons
External links [edit]
References [edit]
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