State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh
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 Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 40°28′13″N 80°2′28″W / 40.47028°N 80.04111°WCoordinates: 40°28′13″N 80°2′28″W / 40.47028°N 80.04111°W |
| Status | Open |
| Security class | Low-Security, Medium-Security |
| Population | 1,500 |
| Opened | 1826 1882 (Present location) |
| Closed | 2005–20 |
| Former name | Western Penitentiary |
| Managed by | Pennsylvania Department of Corrections |
| Governor | Tom Wolf |
| Warden | Mark V. Capozza |
State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh (historically known as the "Western Penitentiary" or "Western Pen") is a low-to-medium security correctional institution, operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, located about five miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh and within city limits. The facility is on the banks of the Ohio River, and is located on 21 acres of land. (12 acres within the perimeter fence.) It was the first prison west of the Atlantic Plain as well as a major Civil War prison in 1863–1864.
On January 26 2017, Governor Tom Wolf announced the closing of this facility
Western Penitentiary was originally built in 1826 a few blocks east of the current facility by the architect Strickland.
During Charles Dickens visit to the city March 20-22 1842, he visited the original prison and some scholars believe he based the classic A Christmas Carol on conditions at the facility.
The original location is also famous for housing 118 Confederate soldiers after their capture in Morgan's Raid a dozen miles to the west. It held them from August 5, 1863 until they were transferred to a military fort in New Jersey on March 18, 1864. Although conditions were good for the time, at least eight confederates died during the winter, one while attempting escape.
The present facility opened on its current site in 1882, operating as one of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's first correctional facilities, which at the time, held some maximum-security inmates. In January 2005, after transferring the inmates to SCI-Fayette, the facility was . In 2007, the facility re-opened with its current name. It houses low and medium security inmates who require substance abuse treatment.
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Wikipedia