Chester County Prison

Whenever groups of people settle down to live together in a community, they soon need to establish ways to keep the peace. From a stolen chicken to bodily harm, some individuals break the rules and they have to be confined for the good of the group.

As one of the earliest settlements in North America, Chester County leaders had to establish rules, find ways to enforce these rules, and then judge those who might have broken them. The justice system in the county, including the area that would become Pocopson Township, has a long and interesting history.

Starting in the early 1700s, settlers began to establish farms in what would become Chester County. At first, the number of law-breakers was not sufficient to merit a separate building to house them. But by mid century there was a building where court was held. Prisoners were housed in the rear part of this Court House in West Chester. An annex to the Court House was completed in 1786 and prisoners were then housed there.

During this time, crimes were reported in the local newspaper. For example, in October of 1812, the case of John Thomas and Elinor Smith was reported. They were held in "the Jail of the county of Chester," after being found with the following stolen items: "one table cloth, three handkerchiefs, two linen shirts, one seersucker coatee, one striped vest, one pair of nankeen pantaloons with feet, one pair of cotton hose, one black silk shade edged with broad lace." The owners of the listed goods were encouraged to claim their property.

Escapes by prisoners also made the papers. In September of 1812, four prisoners escaped: William Bell, convicted of stabbing a man; John Mote, a 20 year old horse thief; Cookson Green, s soldier who couldn't pay his debts; and Truman Sperier, an army deserter "with a down look." A $40 reward ($10 each) was offered if the escapee was caught and held by the citizen.

The court house prison arrangement lasted until the county leaders decided that a separate prison was needed. In April, 1838, the County Commissioners awarded the contract for the building of a new prison to William Ingram and Chalkey Jefferies on their bid of $35,949. This prison was designed to be a place of solitary confinement and labor for convicts.

The prison was built on West Market Street in West Chester. During its construction, George Fitzsimmons, a young helper on the construction site, carved his name on the wall in 1839. Those letters, made with a chisel and mallet, were carved when a rain shower halted the work for a short time. His name became a historical marker.

The prison on Market Street was completed within a year and the first keeper was Robert Irwin. The term warden was not yet in use. Mr. Irwin served for 14 years with his wife Mary as the first prison matron. Their combined salary was $600 per year.

The first prison had no iron bars but rather solid stone walls with wooden doors with one narrow slit window to allow light and air. In the early days of this prison, poverty was considered a crime and a section of the jail was set aside for debtors.

Prisoners were required to work and the weaving of carpets and the caning of chairs were early prison industries in West Chester. The prisoners were credited with a small wage. They also made sheets, towels, and pillows.

The average number of prisoners per day in 1889 was 44, while in 1938 it was 75. The cost to keep a prisoner in 1889 was less than 9 cents per day and in 1938 it rose to a little more than 17 cents per day.

Prisoners were treated humanely. At first, long term prisoners were kept at the prison and executions were carried out in the outer yard. Over the years, the policy changed and all the long term prisoners were sent to the state prisons. Once the electric chair replaced hanging, no executions were done in the county. Before that, hangings were common.

From its onset, the staff of the prison was careful to examine the health of the prisoner. On reception, a convict was examined by a doctor and the prisoner was bathed, cleaned, and clothed in the prison uniform. The size of his feet were noted. On release, the prisoner received suitable clothes to go back into society.

Each convict was fed: "One pound of rye or coarse wheat bread daily, one pint of coffee in the morning, half-pound of beef made into soup, and four potatoes at noon: mush in the evening; also, half-gallon of molasses per month." All food not consumed had to be given back.

Prisoners were expected to keep their cells clean and if they refused their food was reduced to 8 ounces of bread per day until they did their chores. Each prisoner must bathe in the tub and change his underwear once a week. The jailers were not permitted to use any violence against the prisoners.

Over the years, many stories about the Market Street prisoners were published in local newspapers. Those cases that resulted in execution got the most coverage. In 1845, Jabez Boyd was hanged for killing 14-year-old Wesley Patton. George Pharoah was hung in 1851 for murdering Rachel Sharpless, a young school teacher. The last execution in Chester County took place in 1914 when Wilmer Potts was hung for murdering his wife.

The Market Street prison housed convicted criminals for 120 years. During that time it saw many interesting characters. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners were housed there.

By 1936, "business" was so good at the Market Street prison that many people started to ask that a new prison be built. The old jail was cramped and inadequate. Built for 40 prisoners, it was bulging with 130. An escape in 1956, where prisoners were able to remove the walls brick by brick, helped make the decision in favor of a new prison. One member of a Grand Jury at the time said that considering the heat and crowding, it was surprising that more prisoners didn't try to escape "in order to get, if nothing else, a breath of air from the outside." After 20 years of arguing, a modern farm prison was recommended.

Where should the new prison be built? Many factors were taken into consideration. First, if the County could build on land it already owned, that would save money. If the land was suitable for farming, that would be ideal. If a hill could be central to the location that would help prevent escapes.

A site was selected in Pocopson Township about 6 miles southwest of West Chester. The location was ideal. The prison would be on top of a hill where towers would allow guards to see the whole area. This would lessen the chance of escape. Plenty of farm land would provide prisoners with honest labor, allowing the prison to be partly self-supporting. There were no houses nearby and there was plenty of open space.

Considerable controversy arose over the cost of the new prison. Because Pennsylvania law required a separate cell for each inmate, cell blocks needed to be built instead of dormitory type accommodations. When the local people learned the prison would cost $2.5 million, they were outraged. The engineer who supervised the work said, "We could put prisoners up in the Bellevue Strafford for less money."

Nonetheless, planning continued and on January 14, 1959, the cornerstone of the Chester County Prison (CCP) was laid. The prison was originally designed for 180 inmates. An addition was made in 1983 when two additional cell blocks were added. This allowed space to house 500 prisoners.

In an interview with Staff Sgt. Peter Lopez at CCP on November 16, 2001, he outlined the current status of the prison. There are currently 790 prisoners under the jurisdiction of CCP. Of these, 93 are housed in Delaware County and 120 are in the work release program. The staff of CCP must account for all of these prisoners all of the time. For example, if a prisoner is in the hospital, CCP is still responsible for him.

CCP houses minimum, medium, and maximum security prisoners. Anyone arrested in Chester County must first go to CCP. If they aren't released on bail, they must wait there until their trial. If they are convicted, then the length of their sentence determines where they go. If the sentence is less than two years, they stay at CCP. Otherwise they go to state prison.

The most common crimes committed by prisoners at CCP are drug related. Over 90% of the inmates in CCP are there because of drug or alcohol related offences.

Prisoners work inside the prison and on the grounds. The prisoners earn work privileges for good behavior. The outside jobs are the ones people want most, and if they do well at those they may be eligible for work release if their sentence allows for that. Inside the prison there are many jobs such as laundry, maintenance, wood shop, grounds, and cooking. Those that work in the kitchen can get a certificate that will help them get a job when they get out. The work release program includes jobs at the Pocopson Home, West Chester University, and on the prison grounds.

Currently there are 15 female prisoners at CCP. Additional Chester County females are housed in Delaware County. They are expected to be transferred back soon, bringing the total number of females up to 70. There are also juveniles at CCP. If the accused is to be tried as adult, they are held at CCP. Currently there is a 16 year-old and the youngest prisoner at CCP was 15. He was convicted of murder and sent to state prison.

There are many programs for prisoners at CCP. These programs include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, parenting classes, decision making, anger management, and many educational programs. Teachers come to the prison and one of the most important programs is the GED program where the prisoners can earn their high school diploma.

Pennsylvania law says that inmates must be allowed to have one hour of religious services according to their preference each week. There are religious services daily with four working chaplains and one chaplain in charge. Prisoners are allowed to practice any religion as long as the practices are not illegal. For example, a prisoner would not be allowed to smoke marijuana even if he said it was part of his religious practice.

A number of prisoners spend years in the prison in what Sgt. Lopez calls the installment plan. They come in, get out, and then come back in again. CCP has had a number of famous prisoners including Little Joey Merlino and Norman Johnson. The great escape by Norman Johnson was NOT from CCP.

The staff must be ready to handle emergencies at any time. There is medical care available 24/7. Staff know that anything can happen at anytime. They are well trained and support each other. This is not TV. Real people are at risk and the staff must make sure both they and the prisoners are kept safe.

The philosophy of CCP is that prisoners are treated humanely and with respect. The staff expects respect in return. The law enforcement personnel are professionals who take pride in running a smooth operation. They are team who believe in what they are doing. Their satisfaction comes from seeing an inmate on the street who has made it and won't be coming back. A big part of their goals are to give the prisoners the tools they need to make it on the outside and not have to return to the prison system.

As an established, stable community, Chester County has a long history of managing those individuals who break the law. The on-going programs at CCP are an attempt to lessen the need for prisons in the future.

PRISON HISTORY BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Lopez, Staff Sgt. Peter, personal interview, November 11, 2001.

2. Chester County Historical Society, newspaper archives including:

C&DF 10.14.1812

C&DF 9.09.1812

C&DF 10.07.1812

Local News 6-16-1956

Local News 6-18-1956

Local News 4-07-1956

Local News 5-13-1955

Local News 5-26-1939

Local News 4-04-1936

The Sunday Bulletin 6-22-1958

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