Joliet Penitentiary

Christmas in the pen, 145 years ago

Published by admin on Mon, 12/21/2020 - 3:14pm

This Christmas will be the strangest in most of our lifetimes. Covid has us staying home, some feel like they are in prison. But they are not. Today we will find out what Christmas in a prison is really like. Set the wayback for 1875, place the Joliet Penitentiary.
The reporter from the Joliet Weekly visited the prison on Christmas Day, and strangely enough, so did many other people from the area. The very sight of the righteous may be a good example to the convicts, or at least that is how they looked at it. The following is from that reporter's article.

Joliet Penitentiary, a walk in the park

Published by admin on Fri, 03/31/2017 - 4:50pm

    Recently I drove past the old Joliet Penitentiary on Collins Street. It's getting an exterior makeover, new plantings, new parking lot and new signage. Soon it will be open to the public, and will no doubt be a great success.
    We all have a fascination for the place, and we always did. Today's way back machine will take us to October of 1883.