McNeil Island

USA / Washington / Fox Island /
 island, prison
First established as a territorial jail in 1870, the "Alcatraz of the Northwest" became a federal penitentiary before control was transferred to Washington State in 1981. The main prison yard and buildings are built atop the site of a now filled-in saltwater inlet. Among McNeil's more infamous residents was one Charles Manson, who did a stretch here in the 1960s (before the "Helter Skelter" murders which made him a household name).
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McNeil_Island
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   47°12'41"N   122°41'4"W

Comments

  • This island is also a protected wildlife area: http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/r6mcneil.htm
  • Once my dad took me to Steilacoom and pointed out at McNeil island, saying "You don't wanna go there."
  • it's a beautiful place to visit if you know a resident working on the island. however, not a good place to be incarcerated. but that does without saying.
This article was last modified 11 years ago