Folsom A to Z: Folsom State Prison

Editor's note: Folsom A to Z is an intermittent series in the Telegraph where readers can learn facts and history about Folsom. Each week, the Telegraph will select a landmark, place, historical figure and major historical event that start with the next letter of the alphabet. This week we continue with "P." Folsom State Prison (FSP) is California's second oldest prison after San Quentin. FSP was originally one of the first maximum security prisons. FSP is one of 33 prisons operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Construction of the facility began in 1878, on the site of the Stony Bar mining camp along the American River. FSP officially opened July 26, 1880 with only 44 prisoners transferred from San Quentin. The prison saw numerous escape attempts; the first occurred shortly after the first inmates arrived. Throughout the prison's violent and bloody history, numerous riots and escape attempts have resulted in both inmate and staff deaths. The original capacity of the prison was 1,800 inmates. The first prisoner was Chong Hing, serving time on arson charges. Inmates spent most of their time in the dark, behind solid boiler plate doors in stone cells measuring 4-by-8 ft. with 6-inch eye slots. Folsom Prison originally had no walls and was surrounded by towers. This gave guards an unobstructed view of the prisoners as they worked. On November 7, 1885, the first female prison was started. Only six women were ever housed at the prison and none have been housed since 1929. The first warden, Charles Aull, was appointed in 1887. Aull was known for being strict. Aull was an ex-captain of turnkeys at San Quentin and a former deputy sheriff from Stanislaus County. Both FSP and California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) share the mailing address: Represa, CA 95671. Represa, translated as "dam" from the Spanish language, was the name given in 1892 to the State Prison post office because of its proximity to a dam on the American River that was under construction at the time. In 1893, the prison was the first in the United States to have electricity provided by the first hydroelectric powerhouse in California. Folsom's first dam was built by inmates at Folsom Prison using granite blocks quarried on the prison grounds. Water was turned into the canal and the prison powerhouse became operative in 1893. A total of 93 prisoners were hanged at FSP between December 13, 1895, and December 3, 1937. By 1897, there were 900 prisoners serving time at Folsom. By 1909, construction on the prison wall started. The wall was completed in 1923. Air holes were drilled into the inmates' cell doors in the 1940s, and the cell doors are still in use today. Folsom and FSP is best known in popular culture for concerts performed at the facility by musician Johnny Cash, particularly in 1968. Cash wrote and recorded the song "Folsom Prison Blues." 1968 wasn't Cash's first Folsom State Prison concert. He performed in 1966 as well. He also visited the prison in 1977. FSP primarily houses Medium Security General Population Level II and Level III male inmates. Folsom houses Minimum Security Level I male inmates within a minimum security facility located just outside of the main security perimeter. Today, the prison is known for its imposing walls, constructed using granite quarried by the prisoners. FSP's design capacity is 2,469 inmates. The facility includes five housing units within the secure perimeter, including the original two-tiered structure. Unit 1 is the most populous cellblock in the United States, with a capacity of nearly 1,200 inmates on four, five-tiered sections. All cells include a toilet, sink, bunks and storage space for inmate possessions. Prison facilities include two dining halls, a large central prison exercise yard and two smaller exercise yards. The visiting room includes an attached patio as well as space for non-contact visits. In 2009, FSP was overcrowded with 4,427 inmates. Around that year most of the inmates who were released, returned to prison. California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) has many programs for inmates to work in such as administration; Braille; the license plate factory, which has been making California license plates since before the 1930s; maintenance; metal fabrication; printing plant; and the sign shop. FSP provides the Academic Inmate Program, which includes Adult Basic Education, High School/GED, English as a Second Language, a literacy program and Computer Assisted Instruction. On the M-5 freeway in Farmington Hills, MI , two service drives – named Folsom and Freedom – are adjacent to the eastbound and westbound sides respectively. Their positioning symbolizes the idea that Folsom, as in FSP is a place that is the opposite of freedom. Under the administration of FSP, Folsom Women's Facility (FWF) was activated in January 2013. The 523 bed stand-alone facility provides housing; rehabilitative and reentry programming; substance abuse treatment; and job training to the medium and minimum security female population. FWF is the northern most female facility in the California, allowing female offenders to maintain closer ties to family and relatives in the area. Ron Rackley has been the current warden at FSP since 2014. The Folsom State Prison is located at 300 Prison Road in Represa.