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Leavenworth is a US federal prison in Kansas, known for its unique design and notorious inmates. It was one of the first federal prisons and was completed in 1903 as a maximum-security facility. The main building, known as the “Big Top,” houses over 1,600 inmates. Notable inmates include Robert Stroud, “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Leavenworth was the largest maximum-security prison in the US until 2005 when it became a medium-security facility.
Leavenworth is a medium-security United States federal prison located in Leavenworth, Kansas. The facility – the official name is United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth – has gained notoriety through television and movies since it opened in the early 1900s. Hollywood has chosen to frequently portray this particular prison due to its unique design and ‘interesting cast of criminals that the prison has housed.
Throughout the 1800s, prisoners in the United States were housed in state prisons. The need for more facilities, however, convinced US Congressmen to allow the country’s first federal prisons to be built. The first federal prison system consisted of three facilities, which were located in Atlanta, Georgia; on McNeil Island in Washington state; and in Leavenworth. The federal prison system was busy housing offenders who were handed down sentences by the federal justice system.
Construction of Leavenworth Penitentiary was completed in 1903 and it became a maximum security prison. The inmates were held in the facility’s main building. This domed building is commonly referred to as the “Big Top” or “Big House”. As of 2010, more than 1,600 inmates were housed in the main building.
Inside the main building is a large room in the shape of a rectangle with walls 30m high and about 9.1m long. This room is where the cells were built on each side of a large walkway patrolled by armed guards.
Over the years, Leavenworth has housed some of the most notorious and dangerous criminals in the federal prison system. One such inmate was Robert Stroud, who became known as “The Birdman of Alcatraz.” He spent 30 years in Leavenworth, during which time he was allowed to raise and sell canaries. Other famous inmates who have been housed at the facility are George “Machine Gun” Kelly, a notorious gangster during the Depression era; Michael Vick, a professional football quarterback; and Carl Panzram, a prolific serial killer who was executed by hanging in 1930.
Until 2005, Leavenworth Penitentiary was the largest maximum security prison in the United States. That year, the prison was changed to a medium security prison because the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons wanted to change the facility’s mission. The office allowed Leavenworth to maintain its status as a United States penitentiary for historic reasons.
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