Washington State Penitentiary
  Location in Washington | |
| Location | Walla Walla |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 746°4′41″N 118°21′32″W / 46.07806°N 118.35889°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Minimum, Medium, Close, Maximum |
| Capacity | 2,439 |
| Opened | 1886 |
| Managed by | Washington State Department of Corrections |
| Warden | Donald Holbrook, Superintendent |
| Street address | 1313 North 13th Ave. |
| City | Walla Walla |
| County | Walla Walla County |
| State/province | Washington |
| ZIP Code | 99362 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
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 2,200, it is the second largest prison in the state (after Coyote Ridge Corrections Center) and is surrounded by wheat fields. It opened 138 years ago in 1886, three years before statehood.
It was the site of Washington State's death row and where executions were carried out, until the Washington Supreme Court ruled the state’s death penalty statute unconstitutional on October 11, 2018, thereby abolishing capital punishment in the state. Methods for execution were lethal injection and hanging.
Located at 1313 N. 13th Avenue, it is commonly known as "the Walls" among inmates and "The Hill" to the locals. The penitentiary is sometimes known as Concrete Mama, from a book with the same title by Ethan Hoffman and John McCoy. Elsewhere within Washington, and also to an extent in the surrounding states, the name Walla Walla is a metonym for the penitentiary. The penitentiary was the subject of the song "Walla Walla" by American punk rock band The Offspring.
Notable inmates
- Kenneth Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler.
- David Lewis Rice, convicted mass murderer.
- Terapon "Lee" Adhahn, convicted rapist of several children and rapist and murderer of a child in Tacoma, Washington.[1]
- 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.
- Lyle Beerbohm, American professional mixed martial artist who spent over a year in Walla Walla for drug related crimes
- Little Willie John, R&B singer who was sentenced to 8-20 years for manslaughter, died at Walla Walla on May 26, 1968.[2][3][4]
- Billy Gohl, Union employee who murdered many sailors, Aberdeen.
- Dr. Linda Hazzard, Doctor known for murdering patients through her detox methods, Olalla, Washington.
- Kevin Coe, convicted rapist from Spokane, often referred to in the news media as the "South Hill Rapist."
- Gary Ridgway, convicted serial killer in south King County, referred to in the news media as the "Green River Killer."
- Jack Owen Spillman, American serial killer from Spokane. Known as the "Werewolf Butcher"
- Henri Young, convicted bank robber and cause célèbre.
History
Washington State Penitentiary opened 138 years ago in 1886, making it the oldest operational prison in Washington state.[5] 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.[6][clarification needed]
Organization
The penitentiary has four groups:
- camp: short term
- the Low Crime Facility: 30–60 years
- the Medium Crime Facility: 50–life
- the High Crime Facility: life
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Washington
- List of United States state correction agencies
- List of U.S. state prisons
- List of Washington state prisons
References
- ^ http://www.courts.wa.gov/content/Briefs/A02/378931%20reply.pdf
- ^ "Little Willie John is arrested for murder after performing at Seattle's Magic Inn on October 17, 1964. - HistoryLink.org". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ "Little Willie John". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ Johnson, Gary. "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends - LITTLE WILLIE JOHN". www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
- ^ http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/prison/wsp/
- ^ Campylobacter Outbreak - Washington State Penitentiary
External links
- Profile at Washington Department of Corrections website
- Washington State Penitentiary collection at the Whitman College and Northwest Archives, Whitman College.
| State prisons |
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| Closed |
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Above facilities are male-only unless noted by ♀(female) or ♂♀ (unisex) | |
