Toured the infamous Marion Illinois Federal Pen today.. They are changing over from a max security setup to a medium security and it was open to those 18 and older on a tour this Sat and Sunday.
As someone who has never seen the inside of a jail cell, it is hard to explain how it made me feel. People like Gotti, Pete Rose, members of the ElRukn chicago gang have been there and many more.. It was the site of the botched helicopter escape attempt from a fellow named Trapnell and his female partner and many other escape attempts.
Most chilling to me was the 'control unit' which is a step or two from solitary. Several of the cells even had the bars covered in a small metal grid with a two way meal door in the cell door. Then a door separating that cell from the hallway. There were two guards killed there about 20 years ago in that unit, the inmates created a diversion and somehow some handcuffs got picked, a guy got stabbed in the back and later in the day something similar happened. Total lockdown over 20 years after that.
It was a rainy cold gloomy day and that made the experience even deeper. Wing upon wing of identical cells. Sat down in one and tried to imagine for a moment how it would feel. I think I'd have to be sedated or lose my mind. Such small cells and such control. Electric fences, rolls of barbed wire, wow.
Really intimidating, but cool in some ways.
As someone who has never seen the inside of a jail cell, it is hard to explain how it made me feel. People like Gotti, Pete Rose, members of the ElRukn chicago gang have been there and many more.. It was the site of the botched helicopter escape attempt from a fellow named Trapnell and his female partner and many other escape attempts.
Most chilling to me was the 'control unit' which is a step or two from solitary. Several of the cells even had the bars covered in a small metal grid with a two way meal door in the cell door. Then a door separating that cell from the hallway. There were two guards killed there about 20 years ago in that unit, the inmates created a diversion and somehow some handcuffs got picked, a guy got stabbed in the back and later in the day something similar happened. Total lockdown over 20 years after that.
It was a rainy cold gloomy day and that made the experience even deeper. Wing upon wing of identical cells. Sat down in one and tried to imagine for a moment how it would feel. I think I'd have to be sedated or lose my mind. Such small cells and such control. Electric fences, rolls of barbed wire, wow.
Really intimidating, but cool in some ways.
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