A Prisoner to Geo-Oddities

I noticed a reference to a prison in Alaska that turned out to be located not too distant from where I roamed around the Kenai Peninsula during my journeys a few summers ago. It was a prison with a view, in fact it was located somewhere (map) in the background of this photo I took from Seward’s Waterfront Park.

Seward, Alaska. Photo by howderfamily.com; (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
View from Seward

This was the Spring Creek Correctional Center, the state’s maximum security prison for its most hardened criminals. One would never want to spend time there except perhaps as an employee. Hopefully none of us will likely ever find ourselves there as permanent guests there either. Well, unless county counting, state highpointing or extended road tripping suddenly becomes illegal. Nonetheless, from a purely geographical placement, the inmates have something pleasant to ponder through the slots of their tiny cellblock windows during their lengthy incarcerations.

That got me to wonder what other prisons might be advantageous should, you know, one suddenly fall into an alternate universe where the laws are completely different. What correctional institutions would a criminal geo-geek mastermind appreciate?


Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, Louisiana, USA

Offenders Artwork at Angola Prison Rodeo. Photo by crawford orthodontics; (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Offenders Artwork at Angola Prison Rodeo

One the surface, the Louisiana State Penitentiary might seem to have something to offer. It even has an annual Angola Rodeo and art show. Seriously, the prison started a rodeo in 1965 and spectators flocked to the site in droves each year ever since.

That would be a nice diversion from toiling in the fields although a true geo-geek would crave more. Knowing that Turnbull Island (map) — a disconnected piece of West Feliciana Parish separated from the rest of the parish by Concordia Parish — was visible on the other side of the Mississippi River, well that would be priceless.


Alexander Maconochie Centre, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Geographically savvy Australian prisoners might appreciate their time in Alexander Maconochie Centre. Of course, that assumes anyone could truly appreciate such a loss of freedom. As consolation, prison authorities built it within the borders of the diminutive Australian Capital Territory.

Why would this tiny dot upon the Australian continent require its own prison? Primarily for a single reason: “prisoners were transferred into the New South Wales prison system and the ACT reimbursed NSW for the cost of holding those prisoners“. ACT believed it would be cheaper to handle its own prison population instead of paying NSW. Also prisoners would be closer to their families for visitation purposes.

I couldn’t find any photos of the Alexander Maconochie Centre with the proper licenses to share. The centre was new, accepting prisoners only since 2009, so there wasn’t much available. The Canberra Times offered a a representative slideshow though.


San Marino

San Marino. Photo by fdecomite; (CC BY 2.0)
San Marino

On the subject of small, I imagined geo-criminals might commit felonies in various microscopic nations simply for the novelty. San Marino appeared to be a decent possibility (map). The European press seemed enamored of San Marino’s prison population, too. The Telegraph featured The ‘world’s most pampered – and bored – prisoner’ in 2011.

“The 30-year-old man has his meals brought to him from a local restaurant because it is not economical to lay on a canteen service for him alone. He enjoys the exclusive use of a gym, library and television room and occupies one of six cells which make up San Marino’s only jail, which is tucked into a wing of a former Capuchin monastery… But his lonely penance is about to come to an end – a second inmate is expected to be incarcerated in the next few days.”

Der Spiegel followed up in 2014 with “San Marino: Tiny State, Big Baggage.” It focused on inmate Piero Berti, a former national head of state who’s holiday meal “consisted of risotto with parmesan, followed by roasted turkey with seasonal vegetables, and fruit for dessert. It was accompanied by wine.”


Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, New York, USA

Prison! Photo by Vince Young; (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Sing Sing from the train tracks

On the other hand, Sing Sing was a much more notorious place in spite of it’s charming Hudson River views and its 4-star rating on Yelp. This was a dismal place housing hardened criminals since the 1820’s. Officials have executed several hundred people onsite using the legendary electric chair Old Sparky.

Sing Sing didn’t make the list because of its accommodations. I added it because the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line commuter train ran directly through the facility (map)! Walkways crossed above the tracks connecting both sides of the prison (for guards I’d suppose, not prisoners).

Imagine hanging out in the prison yard and watching the trains pass through all day long. Better yet, imagine commuters riding through a prison, hearing a thunk and wondering if an inmate just jumped onto the roof of the car in an escape attempt like in the movies.

Surely there must be better geo-oddity prisons. How about the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland? West Virginia surrounds it on three side. Are there other candidates?

Comments

3 responses to “A Prisoner to Geo-Oddities”

  1. Andy Avatar

    One of the candidate areas for the highest point in Keweenaw County, Michigan, is located at a juvenile correction center.

    http://cohp.org/mi/michigan_N.xml#Keweenaw
    http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6472

    Not only do you have to break the law to get in, but you have to do so while you’re still a minor! Or, as the trip reports indicate, a friendly guard may allow access to an outsider.

  2. hipsterdoofus Avatar
    hipsterdoofus

    I like how the second review on yelp for SingSing is from Jerry Seinfeld.

  3. Peter Avatar

    Most of Connecticut’s prisons are located within a couple miles of the Massachusetts border. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but the way it works out is that escapees have a good chance of becoming another state’s problem.

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