well aware of my reputation for taking care of business.
The sergeant, that rarely wrote a report, wrote up three inmates that day.
Trying to get up to speed as fast as possible, I asked the other officers what was enforced in this block and what they didn't enforce. They told me what they were supposed to enforce, but I never saw them enforcing those policies.
The lieutenant told me that he definitely wanted the policy stating that, everyone is supposed to have their ID in the slot by the phone they were using, enforced and unauthorized area violations enforced. By the time I left that day, everyone on the phones had their ID's up and everyone was staying on their assigned side of all black lines that were painted on the floor.
When I cruised the flag enforcing policy, the inmates thought it was kind of strange because the other officers just sat in chairs passing the time of day. The inmates definitely liked the other officers' style better than mine.
One inmate that wanted to go out on a visiting pass gave me attitude. I told him I wasn't taking that attitude and that if he wanted to settle down, maybe we'd have a chat. He eventually squared himself away and apologized.
Being in A-East was like being on vacation compared to working in B-West. I didn't have to answer a thousand questions every day, there were only a few. These inmates were much more cooperative than those in B-West, even though they weren't exactly happy with me enforcing policies.
My second day in A-East the lieutenant called me into his office. He thanked me for bidding into his block. This was unexpected, appreciated and rather cool. It was a total flip flop from the way I had been treated by my last lieutenant.
And so began my stretch in A-East.
As I had just entered this block, a lot of policies were not being followed. During a security check, I observed 14 inmates using footlocker lids as headboards. I issued verbal warnings to the 11 that had this as their first violation. This was the second violation for three of the inmates, so it was necessary for me to lock them in their cells.
BACK TO B-WEST FOR ONE NIGHT
On a Friday night, I worked for another officer In B-West. They asked me if I would work the bubble. I told them that I would. Entering the bubble, I detected odors. It stunk. Trash was piled up and rotting. Everyone was too lazy to empty the trash. The place was a disaster. Junk was lying around everywhere. It took a while to get the clutter cleared out so I could actually do my job. Before the end of the shift, I had everything squared away, clean and in order.
I went through all of the bunking requests. When the inmates saw me in there, many of them came asking me to do things for them. More bunking request slips started pouring in. I told them that I would set up paperwork, but it would be up to the block officers tomorrow whether or not they would make the moves. The next morning, I received an email from one of the block officers thanking me for all the work I did. They made all of the moves that I had lined up.
A 3rd watch officer in B-West told me that the books had not been the same since I left. He said they needed me back. I told him I appreciated it, but I would never be back.
Another 3rd watch officer in B-West had been enforcing policies. The inmates give him static and called him Basham Junior.
One of my block sergeants, when I was in B-West, became a caseworker. He said, "Most of my memories of B-West are bad, but you're a good one."
HISTORY OF STILLWATER PRISON IN BAYPORT
WHY
Why write a section about the history of Stillwater Prison? It's because that is the main character in these books and it's very interesting. People come and go. Programs come and go. The prison changes, but it is always there. Without it none of these stories would exist. My time in this prison is the largest portion of these books because that is what I have firsthand knowledge of. Working in the prison, I heard other stories and developed more questions about the place. Researching these questions and trying to verify accuracy of some stories I heard took a long time and raised more questions, but I had to stop somewhere. This is the tip of the iceberg. Anything in these books will relate in some way or another to this prison. Items from the past will give you more of a perspective of the place and add a bit more flavor to this institution. People are always curious about what happens in prisons and how they work. These books will give you an excellent perspective of this specific prison by giving you pieces of its puzzle. However, most things will relate to any prison.
FACT OR FICTION
The information in this chapter was acquired from the Minnesota's Department of Corrections web site, the Washington County Historical Society, information I received while attending the academy, information I received about the James-Younger Gang from visiting museums in Missouri and Kansas, information I received by visiting the Northfield Historical Society, some information from the prisoner's newspaper "The Prison Mirror", information I received from people inside Stillwater Prison ( staff and inmates, of course the old timers were very interesting) and numerous internet sites. Information from one source to another varied.
The information from the DOC web site was a good chronological guide line; however I would call the information close but not 100%. The DOC was always good at covering up what actually happened in the prison. Stories that got out were generally watered down. Information from that site is what is in the public record and not necessarily all of the facts.
The internet was the best resource for information on the Younger brothers; however information varied from one source to another.
My opinion has always been that criminals are created; that people are not born to be criminals. Environment, how they have been treated or mistreated and the examples that are set for them are a few of the areas that dictate how they view the world and process information. Visiting the museums in Missouri and Kansas solidified my opinion. By learning events that shaped the lives of the Younger brothers and the James brothers, from the area and time they grew up in and getting varying perspectives, I could see how they made the choices they made. Had they not grown up in the time and area that they did, I don't believe we would've ever heard of them.
SHOW ME
There are some excellent old pictures available on the internet that can give you some visuals of what I'll be writing about in this section. The cost to obtain these was far beyond my means. The cost to put them in this book would've increased the price of the book beyond what most would want to pay.
I admit to being frugal, because I have to be. These pictures are interesting, but in my opinion, not worth the cost. However, should you like to take a peak; here is a list of web sites and some of the paths necessary to find some of those pictures, at least of 2016.
Minnesota Historical Society
How Do I
Ordering a Photograph
Searching for Photographs
Search MNHS Research Material
Type "Stillwater Prison" in the search box
Minnesota Department of Corrections
Photo & Video Gallery
About
DOC Background/History
Minnesota Correctional Facility Stillwater
970 Pickett Street North, Bayport, MN 55003, 651 779 2766