The USP Leavenworth came into existence through an act of Congress in 1895. Inmates from the military prison at Fort Leavenworth were used in the early construction and were marched two and one-half miles to the site daily, returning each night to the prison at Fort Leavenworth. This continued until February, 1903 when the first 418 inmates to occupy the prison site were moved into what now serves as a laundry building.

In 1906, all of the federal prisoners from Fort Leavenworth were housed in the new institution and the prison at Fort Leavenworth was returned to the War Department. A milestone in the new penitentiaries' construction was reached in 1926 with the final placement of the dome overhead the rotunda - from which the penitentiary derives its famous nickname - "The Big Top."

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Leavenworth provides academic, work and occupational education opportunities to all inmates who wish or who are required to participate in them. It also provides a full range of recreation and leisure time activities.

Education: Leavenworth offers a wide range of education programs from basic literacy to high school equivalency (GED) to parenting programs. The Bureau utilizes the high school equivalency as its literacy standard and inmates failing to meet this standard are required to participate in education programs. In addition, the Education Department offers English as a Second Language and bi-lingual Adult Basic and Secondary Education opportunities.

USP offers a number of ACE courses to include: Spanish I and II, Keyboarding, Creative Writing, History, Career Development, and Pre-Release. USP also have VT Programs, Graphic Arts and Barber College certified by the State of Kansas. USP is attempting to get a Culinary Arts VT class operational, as well as, a distance learning college program.

Recreation: A variety of recreational activities are provided to promote constructive use of leisure time. A diverse combination of competitive, recreational and fitness activities designed to reach as many inmates as possible are offered. Intramural sports include basketball, flag football, softball, and racquetball. Also available are a wide variety of table games, billiards and arts and crafts.

UNICOR: The UNICOR operation at Leavenworth is the largest in the Bureau and includes three factories, Textiles, Furniture and Print. These factories employ over 650 inmates and last year recorded sales of over 26 million dollars with profits exceeding 6 million dollars. The profits from all UNICOR operations are used to fund salaries, re-invest in new factories, and other expenses of UNICOR.

Health Services: Health Services provides a full range of outpatient and infirmary care to all inmates. There are 26 full-time medical staff members, including 2 Physicians, 2 Dentists, 2 Pharmacists, 9 physician assistants, 2 health information personnel, an administrator, and an assistant administrator. These staff provide 24 hour coverage and specialty services are provided by consultants from the community. Four hospitals in the local area offer inpatient and outpatient care on a contractual basis.

Psychology: Psychology Services provides a full range of clinical treatment options for inmates housed at the facility. Individual and group formats are utilized to address the diverse and problematic mental health issues experienced by inmates. These treatments include providing remedial services to those with chronic mental health problems, those with situational crises, and those wishing to engage in personal development. The department provides a variety of services to those with diverse language and cultural backgrounds and challenges. Treatment efforts are extended to all inmates who wish to participate in the Health Promotion/Disease prevention Program, Release Preparation Program, Wellness program, and the Orientation to Prison program offered at the penitentiary.

Psychology Services at the penitentiary offers a variety of drug treatment options including Drug Education and Non-residential drug treatment. These programs are offered to eligible inmates, as well as, those who seek assistance. Non-residential drug treatment options are available in a variety of areas. Drug Education is required for those inmates who have a parole violation for drug abuse, based upon a judicial recommendation, or if drugs were involved in the commission of the confining offense. Drug Treatment Program services are offered by staff at the Residential Drug Treatment Program located at the Satellite Camp and by staff members.

USP Leavenworth provides a residential treatment program to those inmates interested in making pro-social life decisions. The Challenge, Opportunity, Discipline, and Ethics (CODE) program is a year long residential treatment program offered in one cell house. The mission of the program is to foster a sense of trust, responsibility, integrity, and tolerance. Inmates enrolled in the program spend the first three months exploring the change process, followed by six months of daily treatment to promote positive life skills, and during the final three months of the program inmates develop skills to discourage relapse into prior negative forms of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

The Psychology Services staff includes three doctoral level psychologists, the CODE program is staff with a doctoral level clinical coordinator and three treatment specialists, and the Drug Abuse Treatment Program (housed at the Camp) is staff by a doctoral level clinical coordinator and four treatment specialists.

Food Service: The Food Service Department prepares over 6,200 meals per day with a daily budget of $2.45 per inmate. Meals are prepared for general population, and satellite feeding to include the Special Housing Unit. All inmates assigned to Food Service participate in weekly training sessions pertaining to safety, sanitation, preparation and presentation of food and other areas of benefit to the Food Service Program.

Chaplaincy Services: The Chaplaincy Services Department at Leavenworth provides inmates with the opportunity to practice their religious beliefs within the constraints of security, safety and the orderly running of the institution. A large number of community volunteers supplements some of the programs offered by the Chaplaincy Services Department. A complete religious program is available and a regular schedule of events with recognized faith groups is maintained. Contract staff are utilized to assist in ministering to the various faith groups and a Native American Sweat Lodge is available for the inmate population.

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The Federal Penitentiary Camp (FPC) is located outside the main USP walls and houses minimum security prisons that maintain the exterior grounds of the USP.
 

 The Federal Prison Camp is located adjacent to the USP, Leavenworth and it is rated as minimum security. This facility opened in 1960 and houses adult male offenders who have been classified as minimum or low security. The FPC, Leavenworth has 6 dormitories, two dormitories with enclosed rooms. Educational courses such as Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, and Business Computer Classes are available at the Camp. We also offer an Apprenticeship Program. Camp inmates work at the Camp and on work details maintaining the grounds of the federal reservation, Fort Leavenworth and the VA Cemetery. Additionally, Federal Prison Industries operates an outside warehouse and maintenance shop for the penitentiary.

Psychology: Mental health services are provided to those inmates with mental health issues utilizing a variety of with therapeutic strategies. In addition, treatment efforts are extended to all inmates who wish to participate in the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Program, Release Preparation Program, and the Wellness Program offered at the Camp.

A variety of drug treatment options are offered to inmates housed at the Camp. Drug Education, Non-residential drug treatment, and residential drug treatment program for minimum security inmates are offered to eligible inmates. The residential program is a nine month intensive treatment program that requires inmates to participate in daily treatment activities. Upon completion of this intensive phase, inmates begin 12 months of transitional services. Non-residential drug treatment options are available in a variety of areas. Drug Education is required for those inmates who have a parole violation for drug abuse, based upon a judicial recommendation, or if drugs were involved in the commission of the confining offense. The Drug Treatment Program is staffed by a Clinical Coordinator and four Drug Treatment Specialists.

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Significant Milestones at Ft. Leavenworth/USP
 

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Early History
In the first session of the Fifty-fourth Congress a bill was passed authorizing the construction of the United Slates Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. A tract of land comprising some 505 acres on the southwestern edge of the Fort Leavenworth reservation was set aside for the use of the new institution.

The old military prison at the Fort was turned over to J. W. French, the first Warden of Leavenworth, and in March of 1897 construction of the new prison was begun. Seventeen teams of mules and 300 prisoners were detailed to begin the job.

The New Penitentiary
The New Penitentiary, as it was called then, was to be a marvel of custodial architecture. Mr. William S. Eames, drew up the plans. The result was a bold attempt at a completely self-contained unit which would put all the necessary facilities within a 35 foot wall which would encircle 16 acres. Power plant, hospital, and even, for the first time in history, a school were to be inside the walled area.

Construction was under the supervision of Mr. F. E. Hines. The early slowness was due largely to the fact that all possible work was to be done by convict labor and these men were not trained construction help. A sawmill, brick plant and a stone quarry had to be built to obtain materials for construction. A fence had to be built around the entire area so that proper custody could be maintained.

There were many incidents during those early years. Not everyone, understandably, cared to wait around until he had finished his time and escapes and attempted escapes were numerous.

Escapes
One of the most serious escapes recorded in these early years was the mass breakout of June 1, 1898. Seventeen prisoners, led by a badlands bad man named William Pierce, were walking on the construction site when they suddenly attacked Guards Ernest and Dully. They were able to get the guards’ guns and to train them on Guard King in the sentry box. Unable to shoot from fear of hitting his fellow guards, King threw down his weapons and the prisoners marched blithely out info the "free world." All but the leader were recaptured quickly, and he was apprehended in July of 1903 and returned to a much stronger Leavenworth.

The foundations of the two small cell houses were finished on the first of January, 1902, and the population by this time had increased to 902.

The literacy rate at Leavenworth seems to have been slightly lower than the country at large, with only two-thirds of the prisoners being able to read or write.  Though provisions had been made far a school at the old prison, it was located in a separate building from the barracks and the men would have to be allowed to cross the compound after dark to attend. The Warden was understandably reluctant to allow men out after dark, so the Chaplain, Mr. F. J. Leavitt, started correspondence courses for the men. Despite the fact that these men worked from dawn to dusk, a good number of them were enrolled in these courses.

Prisoners were not the only ones who worked long hours in those days. The guards were obliged to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week, and if they wanted a day off, they had to furnish a man to take their place. Uniforms were dark blue and the guard paid for his own out of his seventy dollars a month. Of course there were no fringe benefits.

The Rule Book
The rule book issued to guards and convicts in 1899, shows that the working conditions were almost as stringent for the guards as for the prisoners.  Employees could not smoke within the prison except in the guard room and were forbidden to talk to each other except in the performance of their duties. Naturally, they were forbidden to talk to prisoners except to give orders or answer requests relating directly to the work at hand. The Deputy Warden was specifically instructed to check on the off-duty pursuits of the guards to make sure that they did not frequent saloons or gambling houses.

By February, 1903, sufficient work had been done to allow 418 men to move into the laundry building, which had been converted into a dormitory.  From that day the long marches from the fort to the New Prison ended, though it was not until 1906 that all the prisoners were safely inside the walls and the Old Prison turned back to the army.

But not all was escapes and work. Mr F. J. Leavitt, Chaplain from 1896 to 1916, said, "I have endeavored to preach such sermons as would arouse the conscience and lend to the reformation and salvation of the men, as to the result, Eternity alone can fully reveal.”

The Chaplain received a great deal of help from outside sources, especially from Leavenworth. Miss Edith Champion, of Leavenworth, a gracious and talented young lady, played the organ for chapel services for 18 years, from 1895 to 1913.

Another woman who made some wonderful contributions to penology wits Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth, founder of the Volunteers of America and the Volunteer Prisoners League. She was known to prisoners all over the country as the "Little Mother." She established the Leavenworth branch of the Volunteer Prisoners League in 1902, and sent reading material regularly to the Chaplain for distribution to the men.

Mr. R. W. McClaughry succeeded J. W. French in 1899.

U.S. Identification Center
In 1904 the newspapers of the country had carried stories of a new weapon in the fight against crime. If was a method of identification called fingerprinting. the following year with everyone singing "Meet Me In St. Louis," Mr. M. W. McClaughry, the Warden's son and Record Clerk, joined in the March to the World's Fair in that city.

While others were marveling at the sights of the Fair, young McClaughry was busy learning the rudiments of fingerprinting from Scolland Yard's foremost fingerprint expert, Mr. Kenneth Ferrier. On October 1, 1905, he began taking fingerprints of all the prisoners and all the newly arrived men. Prints were also forwarded to him from all over the country by interested police departments and for some time, the prison at Leavenworth was the Identification Center of the United States.  Record Clerk McClaughry was also made a Special Agent of the Bureau of Identification. Though still not capable of holding all the prisoners, the New Prison was making itself known in the world. In 1906, Record Clerk McClaughry had completely revamped the record office and the Warden, with justifiable pride, was able to say in his report to Washington that Leavenworth was second to none in its fingerprint department.

Warden McClaughry recommended that an immediate sentence law be passed by congress.  It is interesting to note that he based his recommendation on the fact that with the new means of identification there had been no successful escapes in five years.

By 1911, records show the prison population of 1,132 prisoners, a slight rise over the preceding year.

The Great American Sport
The following year, the "Great American Sport" invaded the prison and the first baseball game was played on the East Yard, May 22, 1912. It is easy to imagine that the weekly opportunity to see a baseball game was heartily welcomed by the prisoners.  One can better understand what a treat this was when he realizes that the rules in those days forbade talking between prisoners. Guards were not allowed to inform prisoners what was going on outside nor were they permitted to engage in conversation with prisoners. Prisoners were even expressly abjured to keep their eyes on the ground when visitors were being escorted through the insulation.

By the order of the Warden, a day school for illiterates was begun in 1912 using inmate teachers.

Change in Penology
In 1913, Warden Thos. Morgan succeeded Warden McCaughry. Warden Morgan instituted a significant change in the philosophy of penology at Leavenworth and was much welcomed by the inmate body. Pathologist began to recognize a need to do something more positive than give a man permission to have a Bible to his cell and wait upon his conscience and study of the scripture to reform him. The bitter and sullen demeanor of ex-convicts in general was realized to be due, at least partly, not merely from the punishment but from the lack of communication with his fellow man. Warden Morgan was one of those who subscribed to the concept of allowing the prisoners as much freedom within the prison as was consonant with security and good order.

World War I
Work on the institution had moved along at a good clip. 700 men were lodged in B cell house and it was almost finished. But, as America drew, closer to the war, work on the building slowed. The population decreased sharply to 1,566, giving everyone more room and lightening the work load. Seven more men went looking for greener pastures but truly one made it. The other six were quickly recaptured. 1917 was just a bad year for escapees.

It was a little more cheerful for the employees, however. All of the officers earning less than 1,200 dollars a year were given 10% raises and those in the 12 to 18 hundred dollar bracket were given a 5% increase. The basic wage for guards was still $840 a year and the Warden's salary was $4,000.

The Roaring Twenties
On January 29, 1919, the United Slates of America added its Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment was to lake force in one year. Thus the "Great Experiment" was to go into effect quietly, with everyone put on due warning that prohibition was the law of the land. October 18, 1919, The Volstead Act provided punishment for those violating the mandate of the people, and helped to usher in the "Roaring Twenties."

The Volstead Act and the era it introduced was to bring the Leavenworth population to its all time high of 3,352 in March 1932, and to provide an almost complete change in the type of men that the institution was keeping. Prior to this time, Leavenworth had known little of the big city gangster.

On the brighter side, Reverend Ruskin of Leavenworth started the Golden Rule Relief Fund with a donation of fifty dollars which was quickly added to by inmates and other in persons. The purpose of this fund was to provide money for destitute families of prisoners and for men being discharged with no money or home to go to.

The event of 1920 that probably caused the most happiness among the guards and their families was the long overdue raise in pay from $840 a year to $1,200. Considering the purchasing power of the 1930 dollar, it probably made a number of local merchants happy too.

On June 1, 1921, Warden Anderson left and was succeeded by Walden W.I. Biddle.

In 1924 the Warden's appeals to Congress were finally answered and money was appropriated for a Shoe Factory and a Brush and Broom Factory. If also allowed money to repair the Old Fort Leavenworth Bridge so that the 942 acres which the prison bad acquired on the Missouri side of river could be turned into farmland.

If the population problems were bad in '24, they were worse in '25. When Warden Biddle came in 1921, the population was 1,721, but by mid-1925 it had risen to 3,345, almost double. Men were housed in basements and attics and many other places never intended for habitation.

The final phase of building the main prison structure was nearing its end. This was the Administration Building, 284,523 bricks were laid on this structure in 1926 and it was nearly ready to get the large dome which would give the prison its nickname of "The Big Top.”

Stripes had disappeared from the Leavenworth scene by 1927 and the standard uniform for the prisoners was a dark blue cotton.

On February 28, 1930, two men walked through the front gate after showing the guard a forged pass. This was the first in a series of connected events that led to the Union Station Massacre in Kansas City three years later, and the emergence of the F.B.I. as an armed police force.

The two men who walked out in February, mail robbers by the name of Keating and Holden, had a friend in the prison named Frank Nash. Nash, doing time for train robbery, was made a trustee and he walked away from the Deputy Warden's residence where he was assigned. It has been claimed that Keating picked him up in a car and drove him to Kansas City.

For almost three years, Nash and his acquaintances roamed freely around the mid-west. Keating and Holden were caught in 1932. Nash was on his way back to Leavenworth after having been arrested in Hot Springs, when a machine-gunner stepped out from behind a car and ended Nash's sentence for all time. Four police officers were killed, including an F.B.I man named Raymond J. Caffrey. It was on the basis of this man's death that Congress passed a bill allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigations to arm its agents.

During the thirties many of the gangsters of the past-prohibition gangs were lodged at Leavenworth. Alvin Karpis, "Doc" Barker, Harvey Bailey, Machine Gun Kelly, and Nick Arnstein were a few of thee people who spent some of their time at Leavenworth.

In the long run it is hot the sensational occurrences like escapes and gun-battles that make up the true story of a prison. There are more important, if less newsworthy, items that contribute to the advancement of penological practice. Some of the most important changes in Leavenworth's history came about in the thirties.

Federal Prison System
1930 was the year that the entire Federal Prison System was organized. Under the reorganization law that became effective on May 14, 1930, the Superintendent of Prisons became the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, and the two Assistant Superintendents were made Assistant Directors.  Mr. Sanford Bates was the first Director of Prisons.

The parole system was also reorganized that year, placing power to parole in the hands of a central Parole Board.

In 1930, Warden White got together with twenty-five officers and they founded the USP Officers' and Employees' Club. It took them some years to get the Clubhouse built, but once it was finished it was an immediate success. During the early thirties the institution orchestra played at dances at most every week at the clubhouse. This was an excellent orchestra and despite the obvious custody hazard, no one ever used the orchestra as a means to escape.

1933 was the first year that men in Leavenworth were able to listen to the radio. In 1960 a second channel was added so that the men might have a greater choice in programs.
 

In 1937, Mr. James V. Bennett became Director of the Bureau of Prisons and one of his fast acts was to order that officers no longer carry clubs within the institution. This was in line with the emerging idea that men are sent to prison as punishment not for punishment. It is this idea which continues to dominate the policy of the Bureau at large and Leavenworth in particular.

World War II
In the early 40's, Leavenworth, like the rest of America, was involved in the multitude of tasks necessary to prepare for a war. As early as 1939, there was agitation among the prisoners to have men released for military service. It was not only prisoners, but also many congressmen who favored this and eventually men were released for that purpose.

In early 1941 a project was underway to enlarge the recreation area. One of the features of the new yard was a large concrete bleacher. Movies were shown and a big that summer was the installation of an ice cream freezer.

Before the war was over, the prisoners were to donate blood and money to war efforts. The count by September of 1944 was $201,000 in bonds purchased, $4,512 donated to the Red Cross, and 3,658 pints of blood.

The construction of a new power house outside the north wall was started in 1951. It was not until 1960 that the old power house was finally destroyed.

Leavenworth Penitentiary
Today USP Leavenworth is a maximum security prison housing 1,721 men. For the most part these men have previous criminal records and have long sentences for crimes of violence.

Despite this rather bleak picture, the inmates of Leavenworth have demonstrated many times their willingness to improve themselves and to help others. After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the inmates immediately raised and collected a donation for the Relief Fund. Many have completed the GED programs, vocational training programs and have taken college correspondence courses with the aid of Unicor scholarships. There are a number of organizations devoted to helping the inmates to help themselves. Among these are the CODE program, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

As in any community of nearly 2,000 citizens, there are always hundreds of small and large jobs. The repair work, done by plumbing, painting, carpentry, and electrical crews, is a never ending task within the walls. The laundry, which was the first building used for occupancy back in 1903, still today handles all the thousands of clothing items for the men. Food Service selves nearly 6,000 meals daily. Many of these vocations offer trade training program certifications.

Federal Prison Industries
The largest single component, in terms of inmate employment, is the Federal Prison Industries. UNICOR is a very important operation in terms of savings to the taxpayers. A staff of about 60 supervise and continually train the 600 plus inmate workforce.  For the "FY-2001", the Furniture Factory produced $12,168,920 in sales with a profit total of $1,254,056. The Textile Factory produced $6,340,082 in sales and $42,345 in profit. And the Print Factory produced $4,288,029 in sales with $1,210,808 in profit.
The history of USP Leavenworth is one of continued transition. As it was in March 1897 when construction first begin, the building and growing process has never ceased. Time has marched on and USP Leavenworth has always distinguished itself as the flagship of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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Copyright 2006 Leavenworth Area Development. All rights reserved.
Revised: 01/04/06.

5/22/03 -