In today’s video we will be taking you with us inside an abandoned prison with a troubled history dating back to its establishment and inception in the 1950s. Over the years, the facility has undergone several changes and developments, shaping it into the infamous correctional institution that it became widely recognized for.
In the early years, the prison primarily served as a medium-security facility, housing inmates convicted of various crimes, but don’t get it wrong as this place still held some of the states most notorious criminals, running the entire spectrum from assaults and drug sales all the way up to kidnapping, armed robbery, and of course murder.
As the prison population grew, so did the need for expansion and improvement. In the early 2000s, a major renovation project was launched to upgrade the facility and enhance its capacity to deter violence, prevent escape attempts, and of course to also accommodate more inmates.
One of the notable features of the prison is its commitment to rehabilitation programs aimed at helping inmates successfully re-enter society upon their release. The facility offers a range of educational and vocational opportunities, including GED classes, job training, substance abuse counseling, and mental health services.
These programs aim to address the root causes of criminal behavior and provide inmates with the tools they need to lead productive lives upon their release. In addition to its focus on rehabilitation, the prison also places a strong emphasis on satety and security.
As it was once a genuine beacon of both rehabilitation and reform, the prison eventually became inundated with violence and plagued with civil unrest amongst its inmates and with this change, the prison went on to have an awful reputation of being a dark den of despair and brutality.
The inmates living within its walls are subjected to inhumane conditions that strip away their humanity and crush their spirits. The overcrowded cells are dank and filthy, the stench of sweat and fear permeating the air.
Violence was a daily occurrence, with gang wars erupting at a moment's notice and guards turning a blind eye to the chaos. Inmates were treated as nothing more than animals, with their basic human rights ignored and their dignity stripped away.
The food served in the mess hall was barely edible, the portions meager and the quality subpar. Some inmates were left malnourished while others were left ill after being refused medical care, their bodies wasting away from neglect and from allegations of physical abuse.
Despite the grim reality of life inside the correctional facility, there were always those who refused to be broken. They clung onto any chance of hope and became resilience, finding solace in small acts of kindness and inmate fellowship the surrounding darkness.
Due to all the complaints and reports surfacing of the brutal conditions within the facility, state officials eventually intervened around 2010. They spent over a million dollars in prison upgrades and it was then equipped with new state-of-the-art cameras and other security systems and employed highly trained staff to ensure the safety of inmates, visitors, and employees. In the years just prior to its 2020 closure, the institution had implemented new measures to prevent the smuggling of contraband and the escalation of violence within the facility.
Despite this new commitment to rehabilitation and safety, the institution still faced uphill challenges over the years, including overcrowding and budget constraints. In response to these challenges, prison officials worked to implement strategic solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution but in the end it proved to be too much and just too expensive. The prison was permanently closed in 2020.
From its humble beginnings as a medium-security facility to its final status as a notoriously violent correctional institution, the facility had undergone significant growth and development over the years. But for most, the prison is a living hell, a place where brutality reigns and humanity is a distant memory. As of 2024 the prison is still abandoned.