have a look at this Photograph have you seen this place before does this look familiar to
you that's right you recognize it from The Blues Brothers movie or the first season of the TV show
Prison Break despite it being an iconic backdrop this prison was in reality a complete House of
Horrors where over a thousand prisoners were packed in and subject to some of the cruelest
treatment the American prison population has ever faced today we discover the Joliet Correctional
Center also known as the old Joliet jail I'm your host Ryan so cash and you're watching its history
the old Joliet jail was designed by William Boyington an architect who also designed other
local buildings including the Chicago Water Tower and the Joliet Central High School as
I'm sure you've noticed they share similarities in their design including materials built with
locally sourced Limestone over a century the old Joliet Correctional Center had a reputation for
cruelty from the beginning public perception was filled with ethical concerns the Joliet prison was
built in 1858 to replace the Alton prison the first state penitentiary in the area the Alton
prison was decaying and overcrowded hence the living conditions were described back then as
harsh and disease spread quickly after failing the 1847 inspections the Illinois General Assembly was
forced to construct a new prison to replace it although there was already a surplus of
prisoners which meant Free Labor construction of the prison did not be again until May the
22nd 1858 when 53 prisoners from Alton were brought to the space that would later become
Joliet Correctional Center these prisoners were tasked with building the many buildings
that surround the small original structure and together as a complex this would constitute the
infamous Penitentiary continued overcrowding and the consequences of the Civil War caused
the Alton facility to be converted into a military prison over 11 000 Confederates were imprisoned at
Alton and made up the majority of inmates however Union citizens who committed treason were also
held at that location considering this military influx joliet's regular prison population grew to
unsustainable levels even so during and following construction the prison received praise from the
media for example the Chicago Tribune told their readers that prisoners were in a secure place
and that the people of Joliet should be proud of their penitent entry unfortunately for that 1858
reporter the public perception of the Joliet Correctional Center quickly soured by 1878 the
population was already overcrowded nearly reaching 2 000 inmates and in the coming years the public
became aware of the prisons on sanitary conditions things got so bad that in 1905 many called for the
jail to be closed entirely former inmate William Cuthbert exposed the cruel treatment he and other
prisoners received to the public through Court testimony well in court his discussion over
cruel treatment brought constitutional arguments about the right of an incarcerated person into
question you see the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution forbids a man from
facing cruel and unusual punishment but cuthbert's case questioned whether an incarcerated man has
the same constitutional rights as a free man while prisoner rights were discussed during
the trial cuthbert's testimony also exposed the cruel treatment that incarcerated people face on
the inside detailing the cruelty of neglect and injuries he faced from guards for example while
working on tasks pushing Stones he injured his hands so badly that he was entirely unable to
move three of his fingers the prison guards told him to keep working and he was unable to receive
any medical attention the Doctor Who treated him well temporarily out of the facility shared that
his condition was concerning because he had not received adequate care in addition to the
blatant abusive Prisoners the inmates diets were absolutely disgusting as reported in The Herald
news on May the 4th 1905 their dinners consisted of a sour sauce that would later be recycled into
pies their largest meals appeared to be lunch including pork boiled beans and water while
many regard modern prison food as disgusting the diets of Joliet inmates were exceptionally
inhumane in response to this on becoming media attention many once again called for the prison
to be closed well Joliet did not shut down another nearby prison was built fully to re-house these
inmates the state's Phil Penitentiary was built in 1925 and could incarcerate 4 000 prisoners at
a time unlike Joliet Statesville remains open to this day as a part of the Illinois Department of
Corrections while there were frequent attempts to close the prison during the 20th century Joliet
Correctional Center also participated in external programs within the Chicago area however these
programs were also not without controversy you see after the unethical experiments at
the Willowbrook State School were shut down the so-called volunteers most of whom were actually
Vietnam draft Dodgers incarcerated at Juliet were forced to participate in hepatitis experiments for
the United States Army in the 1960s and as you might imagine the Joliet prison was the perfect
breeding ground for hepatitis studies because of the extreme overcrowding and unsanitary conditions
and as bad as that all sounds Believe It or Not things were about to get a lot worse in 1975
Joliet faced a hostage situation with members of multiple Chicago gangs who expressed anger over
being transferred to other prisons oddly the other prisoners that were held hostage were reassured
that they would not be harmed but a former gang member attempting to reconcile with their former
Associates was murdered the murderer of Hubert Cadillac cathlet ended the rebellion in the
prison Warden memorialized him during his funeral although the 1905 attempts to shut down Joliet
failed activists continued to push for its closure it wouldn't be until 1972 when a bipartisan
Congressional subcommittee visited the prison and demanded its closure reps representative Thomas
railsback was quoted in the Chicago Tribune is saying that the prison has a medieval atmosphere
about it although all four members were disgusted by the prison conditions the sole Democrat member
Abner Mikvah claimed they were not out of the ordinary for incarceration contending that
the most significant issue plaguing Juliet was overcrowding and hence the committee's goal was
to facilitate the creation of more prisons with populations under 300. the subcommittee also noted
that there were problems with the parole system within Joliet as inmates were only given five
minutes to speak with the parole board making it exceedingly difficult to plead their cases
while this investigation highlighted the much needed reforms towards the old prison facility
It ultimately focused on Julia in general rather than fixing the individual concerns of this single
person's complaint ultimately only recommendations were given on how to proceed and because of this
weak Authority Juliet was not affected by the 1972 subcommittee and remained open for another
30 years by the 1990s the city of Julia was really struggling with its reputation not only did the
public have a negative opinion of the penitentiary but the city itself was considered an eyesore but
the city's answer to this criticism was unique as rather than attempting to erase its past it
embraced its history Joliet also enhanced its strong points for example working with the
Will County forest preserve and core lands the city focused on acquiring aesthetically pleasing
attractions for the town this was a new project for the group whose previous work utilized new
land rather than renovation anyhow for the first time they were working with a historic site there
were also plans to create a museum within the correctional center dedicated to the history
of Illinois prisons unfortunately the jolly Correctional Center would be abandoned just 12
years later Joliet Correctional Center was closed in February of 2002. Illinois governor George Ryan
cited budgetary reasons claiming that the closure of Joliet would save four million dollars annually
despite this there were plans to build another giant prison immediately after the shutdown this
would be a Maximum Security Prison the closing of Joliet Correctional Center mirrored the past the
remaining prisoners and the employees were shipped over to the nearby Statesville prison which was
actually the plan 80 years before when Statesville was initially opened while reporting the closure
of Joliet the Chicago Tribune highlighted how Joliet Correctional Center had been considered an
outdated disciplinary system since the 1920s While most people were pleased that Joliet was finally
closing members of the prison guard Union opposed the measure they were concerned that inmates would
Target security guards during transportation to Statesville regardless the shutdown of Joliet did
not lose any jobs While most employees moved to Statesville with the prisoners some guards
remained in the otherwise abandoned Joliet to sort out administrative work regardless the budget cut
did not sacrifice any employment well the complex was abandoned at this point the story of Joliet
Correctional Center didn't end in 2002. the old Joliet Correctional Center became a pop culture
icon and this rejuvenated public interest in the penitentiary although the prison's most famous
appearance in media was in the first season of The Fox television show Prison Break the
old Joliet Correctional Center had been featured in over 20 films and television shows they span
from as early as 1942 with exteriors being used in white heat it was also used as recently as the
10th episode of destination fear in two thousand 20. the penitentiary has gotten as much media
coverage and appearance in the 21 years since its closure as during its 144 years of operation in
addition to film and television the old Joliet prison has frequently been referenced in music
and literature for example Percy's Song by Bob Dylan is about someone trying to commute their
friend's sentence at the Joliet facility this Center also hosted some very famous criminals
such as the notorious degenerate John Wayne Gacy who was briefly held there before being
transferred to Statesville where he was ultimately executed these days visitors can actually tour the
Juliet prison almost daily the tours reference the many films the prison was featured in such
as the Blues Brothers while also encapsulating the rich and gruesome history of the prison but
if you can't stop by for a tour don't worry I'll tell you what lays within this mysterious prison
as you enter the prison grounds you'll be greeted by the imposing walls of the main cell block which
stretches four stories high and runs the length of the prison once inside you'll be struck by
the Eerie quiet of the abandoned cell blocks which were once filled with thousands of inmates as you
make your way through the corridors you'll see the tiny cells that once held prisoners for up
to 23 hours a day you also have the cafeteria Recreation yard and other areas where inmates
spent their time the prison also features an impressive Chapel built by the inmates and
remains a testament to their faith and creativity as you may recall from the show Prison Break the
old Joliet prison is also known for its intricate network of tunnels that run beneath the facility
these tunnels were originally built to transport supplies and goods between different areas of the
prison but they also played a significant role in its history according to some sources in the 1920s
prohibition era the tunnels were used to smuggle alcohol and Contraband then sold to inmates for
a profit today the tunnels are a very popular attraction for visitors to the prison they are
dimly lit and narrow with low ceilings and damp walls as you walk through the tunnels you can see
evidence of their former use including old rail tracks and storage areas some of the tunnels have
been closed off for safety reasons but visitors can still explore a significant portion of this
fascinating underground Network the tunnels offer a glimpse into the prison's past and provide a
unique perspective of Life Behind Bars in the early 20th century but what about their use for
escape there is one story but sources are sketchy at best and I could not verify this so if there's
an expert watching please help us out in the comments anyways The Story Goes The Escape took
place on May the 22nd 1945 and was orchestrated by a career criminal known as John Jack Cole Cole
and his accomplices spent months digging a tunnel that led from their cell in the prison basement to
a spot outside the walls of the prison they used tools they had smuggled in from the prison's Black
Market including spoons and a piece of metal from the bed frame the tunnel was approximately 60 feet
long and took the inmates to a nearby Creek where they had a pre-arranged getaway car waiting for
them the Escape Plan almost fell apart when the inmates encountered a gas line that ran through
the tunnel which they had not anticipated they managed to get around the line by digging a side
tunnel but this delay meant that they had less time to escape before the prison guards discovered
they were missing the Escape was ultimately successful and the six inmates were able to
flee to different parts of the country however their freedom was short-lived as all six were
eventually caught and returned to prison Cole The Mastermind behind the Escape was eventually
released from prison in 59 but he was re-arrested in 1974 and ultimately died in prison in 1985.
this Escape remains one of the most daring and dramatic in the history of the old Joliet prison
another famous Escape happened by notorious bank robber Babyface Nelson who was incarcerated in the
old Juliet prison for a brief period who made his Escape during a transfer overall perhaps the only
safe conclusion is that the old Joliet prison is a haunting reminder of the harsh realities
of Life Behind Bars in the early 20th century well it's no longer a functioning Penitentiary
today the Joliet Correctional Center is cemented in American history and stands as an odd relic of
American pop culture and with that said I'd like to mention that there's one final Jail
in Chicago that I'm considering doing a video on the Metropolitan Correctional Center which
is basically a skyscraper jail with a yard on top so if you'd like to see that video let me
know by clicking subscribe join and thumbs up until next time I'm Ryan silkash signing off