Illinois State Prisons Collection
Title
Illinois State Prisons Collection
Description
This collection consists of historic photographs from three of Illinois’s maximum security prisons, one of which, Joliet, is no longer in operation: Joliet (1858-2002), Menard, formerly known as Southern Illinois Penitentiary (1878-present), and Stateville (1925-present). The photographs depict the daily lives of prisoners, including their work in prison industries, participation in prison sports and music groups, medical procedures, and dining. Several photographs show prison facilities, grounds, and staff.
Publisher
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Rights
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum holds all rights and permissions.
Collection Items
East Gate House, Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Menard
A prisoner takes a cigarette break amidst potted plants and caged birds.
Cell House, Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Menard
Guards line up prisoners in the cell house in preparation for Sunday dinner.
West Gate Entrance, Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Menard
A prisoner and an armed guard pose at the west gate entrance.
Electric Chair, Southern Illinois Penitentiary, Menard
Menard contained one of the three electric chairs used for executions in Illinois. The other chairs were located at Stateville and the Cook County Jail in Chicago.
Textile Production, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
A prisoner operates a textile machine at the Stateville textile mill.
License Plate Work Station, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Prisoner manufactured license plates were just one of many products produced at Stateville, which included a furniture factory, textile mill, and sheet-metal plant.
Prison Dining Hall, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Prisoners eat a meal in one of Stateville's roundhouses as guards observe them.
Medical Procedure, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Warden Joseph E. Ragen observes a medical procedure on a prisoner. This image may depict one of the U.S. Army malaria experiments on inmates at Stateville during the Second World War, where physicians deliberately infected prisoner volunteers to…
Patient Examination, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
An officer draws blood from a prisoner. This image may depict part of an experimentation process. During World War II, Stateville was the scene of U.S. Army malaria experiments, during which physicians observed the disease's effects by deliberately…
Stateville Aces Prison Band, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
The inmate swing band, the Stateville Aces, plays a tune. On verso: "On August 24th, inmates of the Stateville prison at Joliet, Illinois will present a vaudeville show as part of the program for visiting past commanders of local American Legion…
Celebration with the Warden, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Several men, maybe newly released prisoners, celebrate with warden Joseph E. Ragen. Ragan served as warden for twenty-five years (1936-1961). His administration was known for its strict order and the productivity of its prison industries.
Snow Covered Roads, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Cars parked along snow covered roads outside of Stateville.
Flower Beds and Prison Roundhouses, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Stateville Prison housed prisoners in four "roundhouses" constructed on the basis of British philosopher and criminologist Jeremy Bentham's panopticon design, which allowed guards to observe all the cells in a roundhouse from a centrally located…
Warden's Christmas Card, Illinois State Prison, Stateville
Warden Joseph E. Ragen was warden of the Illinois State Penitentiary, which included two prisons, Joliet and Stateville. Ragan served as warden for twenty-five years (1936-1961). His administration was known for its strict order and the productivity…
New Gate House, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
A guard mans his post outside of the newly built gatehouse.
Prisoners in Cell, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
These handcuffed prisoners may have been enduring a form of punishment at Joliet in which prisoners were handcuffed to cell bars and forced to stand during daylight hours.
Surplus Army Clothing, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
Prisoners stack surplus Army clothing and equipment in preparation for cleaning and renovation at Old Prison, Joliet. The term "Old Prison" was used to describe the original prison at Joliet, after the opening of the nearby prison at Stateville in…
Prison Marching Band, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
Joliet's marching band forms up. Known as the "Honor Band," these inmate musicians performed at selected events.
Prison Baseball Team, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
Members of the prison baseball team pose for a team picture. By the 1920s, intramural baseball was a normal feature of inmate life in prisons across the country. Selected players, like these Joliet inmates, manned institutional teams that played…
Bertillon Method of Measurement, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon devised a method of tracking suspects and convicts through a system of measuring and classifying specific features of the person's anatomy. Photographs of these features helped police identify suspects and…
Women Assembling at a Cistern, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
A group of women, accompanied by two men, assemble around a cistern. Although Joliet had a women's prison from 1896 to 1932, it is unclear whether the women in the image are prisoners or civilians.
Prisoners in the Snow, Illinois State Prison, Joliet
Guards line up squads of prisoners in the snow.
Collection Tree
- Illinois Photographic Collection
- Illinois State Prisons Collection