These 8 Deadly Prisons Can Only Be Found In Missouri
By Catherine Armstrong|Published May 29, 2016
×
Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Most Missourians are good, hardworking, law abiding citizens. Of course, every society has some folks who break the law, and those people end up in the prison system. The Missouri Department of Corrections has six maximum-security facilities, five medium-security facilities and five minimum-security facilities for male prisoners. It has two facilities for female prisoners.
With the exception of those with death sentences, all Missouri prisoners first go to one of five Reception and Diagnostic Center before being assigned to a Correctional Center in which they’ll carry out their sentences.
Here are some details about 8 of Missouri’s Correctional Centers, and the violent criminals who reside there.
This is a maximum security facility with 1,440 inmates. The state of Missouri is pretty serious about keeping the inmates at Crossroads contained - it was the first prison in the state to introduce an electric fence that administers a lethal charge. Serial Killer Lorenzo Gilyard is amongst its most famous inmates. He’s serving a life sentence for raping and killing 6 women - though he’s suspected of raping and murdering many more.
2. Jefferson City Correctional Center, Jefferson City
Jefferson City Correctional Center is a Maximum security facility. It opened in 2004 to replace the Missouri State Penitentiary and houses 1,996 inmates. Next door, the minimum-security Algoa Correctional Center houses another 1,500.
Moberly Correctional Center is a minimum and medium security facility that houses 1,800 inmates. It opened in January, 1963. Don’t let the fact that this prison isn’t a maximum security facility fool you - the inmates here are violent. In 1983, Thomas Jackson, a correctional officer, lost his life when he was stabbed trying to contain several inmates in an altercation. In 2013 inmate Anthony Johnson was indicted for fraud - he stole $80,000 from people via telephone solicitation from the prison.
Western Missouri Correctional Center houses as many as 1,925 medium-security inmates. It’s located next door to the maximum-security Crossroads Correctional Center.
Potosi Correctional Center houses the most dangerous prisoners in the state - those who face capital punishment. The center houses up to 800 inmates (including capital punishment and maximum security). Terry Blair is a serial killer serving six life sentences at Potosi for killing seven women. He was convicted in 2008.
6. Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, Vandalia
Many female inmates serving time in Missouri do so at the Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center. It houses up to 2,076 inmates from minimum security to maximum security. It also houses juvenile inmates. Rachel Staudt is serving a life sentence for helping her mother poison her father, brothers and sister by spiking their drinks with antifreeze. Her father and brother died, and her sister was left with serious brain damage.
South Central Correctional Center is a maximum-security facility that houses violent inmates. Eric "the Butcher" Fairburn is serving a life sentence at South Central. He’s a violent skinhead who beat a black man in 2007, then after serving a sentence for that assault, turned himself in for a prior murder committed in 2004 . He’s well-known for his temper and for committed many assaults before his arrest, including throwing his girlfriend’s dog out the window of the car while driving on I-70
What do you think about Missouri’s Department of Corrections? Give us your feedback.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
