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Illinois Tamms Supermax Prison

Illinois Tamms Supermax Prison

In 1992, Governor Jim Edgar established the Illinois Task Force on Crime and Corrections to solve the overcrowding crisis in Illinois prisons. On March 8, 1998, after the Illinois Task Force recommendation of extending the prison system by 5,000 cells, Tamms Supermax Prison opened their gates. Despite the fact that other Supermax Prisons throughout the country were not even close to filling their cells, Tamms Prison had a new and improved protocol that made it stand out. According to Warden George Welbourne, "Tamms is not about rehabilitation, it’s about punishment . . . some people may never leave". (umax.edu) The idea was simple; no rehabilitation, only punishment and deterrence, acts that were not only mentioned, yet visible from the very beginning. The small cells that were (8’x10’), concrete beds, stainless steel sink, toilet and mirror, with a small window that could not be opened and in order to look outside one would have to stand on their bed, doors made of metal wire mesh, with plexiglass shield future that could isolate the inmate in the cell, are only some futures that supported Warden Welbourne concept. (supermaxed.com) The facility is a concrete giant, electronically equipped with several automated doors and tunnels that could be shut down on contact. Each inmate has a strict isolated visitation rule, limited library resources, regular and random cell check followed by strip searches, rectum probed before and after visitation, and shackled anytime one would leave the cell for any reasons. (Assessing supermax operations)   Whenever yard time was allowed, the open 12’x30’ concrete box, where summers are too hot and winters are too cold, was the only place where inmates could breathe fresh air. All the aspects that are part of this institution are detrimental just by thinking about them, without the experience. (supermaxed.com)   Inmates would receive the one way ticket to this facility only when they were considered a...