Washington State Penitentiary

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 134 years ago in 1886, three years before statehood.

Not to be confused with Washington State Prison, in Georgia.
Washington State Penitentiary (WSP)
Location in Washington
LocationWalla Walla
Coordinates46°4′41″N 118°21′32″W
StatusOperational
Security classMinimum, Medium, Close, Maximum
Capacity2,439
Opened1886
Managed byWashington State Department of Corrections
WardenDonald Holbrook, Superintendent
Street address1313 North 13th Ave.
CityWalla Walla
CountyWalla Walla County
State/provinceWashington
ZIP Code99362
CountryUnited States
Websitewww.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/prisons/wsp.htm

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 Penn" 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 incarcerated persons
  • Kenneth Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler.
  • Terapon "Lee" Adhahn, convicted rapist of several children and rapist and murderer of a child in Tacoma, Washington.[1]
  • Allen Ivanov, The 2016 Mukilteo shooter. Killed 3 classmates, 1 being his ex-Girlfriend. Anna Bui, Jordan Ebner, and Jake Long. He plead guilty to 3 counts of 1st degree murder and 2 attempted murder charges. He was sentenced to Life without Parole.
  • 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."
  • Gerald Friend, convicted serial rapist and kidnapper, whose crimes after his release served as the inspiration for Nirvana song "Polly".
  • Jack Owen Spillman, American serial killer from Spokane. Known as the "Werewolf Butcher."
  • Henri Young, convicted bank robber and cause célèbre.
  • Ryan Alexander, Bellingham murderer, convicted of killing his 8-year-old neighbor, Michael "Mikey" Busby, Jr.
  • Joseph McEnroe, convicted murderer in the 2007 Carnation murders.
  • William Earl Talbott II, perpetrator of the Murder of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, and the first case in history to go to trial and achieve a conviction due to genetic genealogy.
  • Joseph Kondro, Longview murderer, convicted in the 1985 murder of 8-year-old Rima Traxler and the 1996 murder of 12-year-old Kara Rudd, died at Walla Walla in May 2012.
  • William Lembcke, Addy murderer, convicted in the December 2000 murders of his parents, older sister, and younger brother.

Executed

History

Washington State Penitentiary opened 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]

Organization

The penitentiary has five groups:

  • Camp/Minimum: 1-4 Years
  • Protective Custody & Mental Health: 1 Year- Life
  • Medium: 1 Year- Life
  • Close: 1 Year- Life
  • Maximum/Segregation: 1 Year- Life

See also

References
  1. http://www.courts.wa.gov/content/Briefs/A02/378931%20reply.pdf
  2. "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.
  3. "Little Willie John". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  4. Johnson, Gary. "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends - LITTLE WILLIE JOHN". www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com. Retrieved 2016-12-18.
  5. http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/prison/wsp/
  6. Campylobacter Outbreak - Washington State Penitentiary

Further reading
  • Murray, Christopher (2016). Unusual Punishment: Inside the Walla Walla Prison 1970-1985. Washington State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87422-339-2.
  • McCoy, John (1986). Concrete Mama: Prison Profiles from Walla Walla (1st ed.). University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-0604-6.
  • Longworth, Arthur (2016). Zek: An American Prison Story (1st ed.). Gabalfa Press. ISBN 978-0-9970-2990-1.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.