Utah State Prison

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Utah State Prison main complex, Draper, Utah.
Utah State Prison main complex, Draper, Utah.

Utah State Prison, or USP, is one of two prisons managed by the Utah Department of Corrections' Division of Institutional Operations.[1] It is located in Draper, Utah, United States, about 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Entrance to Wasatch facility
Entrance to Wasatch facility
Promontory Unit
Promontory Unit
Utah State Prison at dusk
Utah State Prison at dusk
A medium security facility at the prison.
A medium security facility at the prison.

The prison was built to replace Sugar House Prison, which closed in 1951. Its location was once remote and the nearby communities were rural. Since the prison's erection, business parks and residential neighborhoods have developed the once rural area into a suburban one. This has prompted the possibility of moving the prison to a more isolated location.[3] A study was initiated to determine if moving the prison would be feasible. It was determined that the Draper site would be too expensive to relocate elsewhere and will remain as is.

[edit] Facility

The large prison complex houses both male and female prisoners in separate units. The prison has a capacity of over 4,000 inmates.[2] The Draper site consists of several units named after surrounding mountains and mountain ranges. These units range from minimum security to supermax. The Uintas house maximum security units for male inmates and include a supermax facility and execution chamber. Wasatch and Oquirrhs house the medium security male inmates. Promontory is a medium security therapeutic community designed to treat drug abusers. Timpanogos houses female inmates and Olympus is the mental health unit. Lone Peak is a minimum security unit.

[edit] Notable inmates

  • Ted Bundy, serial killer, was sentenced to 15 years in the Utah State Prison in 1976, but was extradited to Colorado to face murder charges.
  • Gary Gilmore was executed at the Utah State Prison in 1977. He was the first prisoner legally put to death in the United States since 1967 following a reversal of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending a moratorium on capital punishment.[4]
  • Thomas Arthur Green, a convicted bigamist and noted practicing polygamist, served his sentences here. He was released in the summer of 2007. [5]
  • Mark Hofmann, convicted for murder and forgery, is currently incarcerated at the Utah State Prison.[6]
  • Warren Jeffs, Jeffs, the "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is currently incarcerated at the Utah State Prison.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Utah Department of Corrections. (2006, December 19). Utah Department of Corrections Facilities. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/
  2. ^ a b Utah Department of Corrections. (2006, December 19). Utah State Prison. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/usp.html
  3. ^ Dougherty, J. M., & Stewart, E. (2005, May 29). To move or not to move: That's question for prison. Deseret Morning News. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www.citizensedproject.org/prisonmove3.html
  4. ^ About:Cribe/Punishlmore.htm
  5. ^ Coalition for Religious Freedom and Tolerance. (2002, March 11). LATEST NEWS ON TOM GREEN AND FAMILY. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www.religious-freedoms.org/latest_news_on_tom_green_and_fam.htm
  6. ^ Gurrister, T. (2005, October 9). Hofmann case revisited. Standard-Examiner.
  7. ^ Winslow, B. (2007, November 22). Jeffs is now an inmate at Utah State Prison. Deseret Morning News. Retrieved November 29, 2007, from http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695229917,00.html

[edit] External links