Washington State Penitentiary

Washington State Penitentiary (WSP)

Standort	Walla Walla, Washington
Coordinates	46.08°N 118.36°W / 46.08; -118.36
Status	Operational
Security class	Maximum, Close, Medium, Minimum
Capacity	1,988 as of June 2008
Opened	1886, 138 years ago
Managed by	Washington State Department of Corrections
Director	Donald Holbrook, Superintendent

WSP

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Location in Washington

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 is the site of Washington State's death row and where executions are carried out. Methods for execution are lethal injection and hanging. However, Governor Jay Inslee has put a hold on executions while he is in office.

Located at 1313 N. 13th Avenue, it is commonly known as "the Walls" and 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 Johnji McCoy.

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.
• 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
• 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."

History

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.

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–death row

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in Washington
• List of United States state correction agencies
• List of U.S. state prisons

External links

• Profile at Washington Department of Corrections website