In June 1871, an Illinois Department of Corrections maximum security was established. Pontiac Correctional Center is run by Michael Melvin, Warden. The operational capacity is about 2,298, and the population is 1,492. Pontiac Correctional Center is located at 700 West Lincoln St. in Pontiac, Illinois
On July 22, 1978, in Illinois a riot broke out. The riot involved over 900 inmates. This riot was one of the deadliest in Illinois history. The riot began in the morning, when several hundreds of inmates were returning to their cell house from the recreational yard. The inmates were armed with shanks. Inmates brutally attacked officers inside the cell house. The prison warden and officer, think that the riot was started by prison gangs, directed the attack to Warden Thaddeus Pinkey. Prisoners set buildings on fire, which also caused that many other inmates to get involved in the riot as well. Hours passed, the officers gathered all the inmates back into their cells. Lieutenant, William Thomas, officers Robert Conkle and Stanley Cole, were killed. Three correctional officers, Danny Dill, Dale Walker and Sharon Pachet, were injured in this riot. …show more content…
By press time for the Daily Leader on July 22, 1978, the world has seemed to shift on its axis, after Pontiac Correctional Center experienced the biggest riot the facility had seen in its 107 years of existence (Pontiac Daily Leader). Two guards were reported dead in the morning. Reports of the deceased were not able to be confirmed, by anyone at that time. But Coroner Keith Von Qualen from the Livingston County, was seen entering the prison. Investigations of the violence, that left the three guards dead and a fourth critically injured at Pontiac Center on Saturday, took about six weeks and involved interrogation of more than 800 persons, within the prison (Pontiac Daily
On July 22, 1978, in Illinois a riot broke out. The riot involved over 900 inmates. This riot was one of the deadliest in Illinois history. The riot began in the morning, when several hundreds of inmates were returning to their cell house from the recreational yard. The inmates were armed with shanks. Inmates brutally attacked officers inside the cell house. The prison warden and officer, think that the riot was started by prison gangs, directed the attack to Warden Thaddeus Pinkey. Prisoners set buildings on fire, which also caused that many other inmates to get involved in the riot as well. Hours passed, the officers gathered all the inmates back into their cells. Lieutenant, William Thomas, officers Robert Conkle and Stanley Cole, were killed. Three correctional officers, Danny Dill, Dale Walker and Sharon Pachet, were injured in this riot. …show more content…
By press time for the Daily Leader on July 22, 1978, the world has seemed to shift on its axis, after Pontiac Correctional Center experienced the biggest riot the facility had seen in its 107 years of existence (Pontiac Daily Leader). Two guards were reported dead in the morning. Reports of the deceased were not able to be confirmed, by anyone at that time. But Coroner Keith Von Qualen from the Livingston County, was seen entering the prison. Investigations of the violence, that left the three guards dead and a fourth critically injured at Pontiac Center on Saturday, took about six weeks and involved interrogation of more than 800 persons, within the prison (Pontiac Daily