Photo's: Historic United States Disciplinary Barracks (Ft. Leavenworth KS)Before and After

Fellow Freeper StarCMC allowing me to use her site to host these photo's | May 8, 2005 | self / Chele / Former Military Chick

[Former Military Chick]

Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. There are several prison's in the greater Leavenworth area besides the military and federal penitentiary. - FMC

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This actually a distance photo, from a viewing deck, as you can see far away, again, this is the "Big House" the Federal Penitentiary. - FMC

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For the life of me I cannot remember the type of animal (type of live stock) that is in the photo. Buffalo?? But, they are actually as well known as the Prison (federal pen). - FMC

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Another view of the new military prison. - FMC

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Plaque by the entrance of the old cemetery. - FMC

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While I would not go out seeking this spot, those who were condemned many years ago, actually have a nice resting place. The weeping willow is magnificent. - FMC

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First stone I came upon. - FMC

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I am actually enclosing this one, because I like the angle and final result. - FMC

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Another angle of the USDB cemetery. - FMC - FMC

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The German headstones are all the way at the back of the cemetery. -FMC

When I originally posted this on FR and the Kodak Gallery site, I had been asked many times about the German grave marker's and the flowers and if I could find out what it is all about, as of this posting the following is what I have uncovered.<>

On August 25, 1945, seven U-boat POWs were executed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for the beating and hanging of another U-boat man--Werner Drechsler--at Papago Park POW camp in Arizona in March 1944. The U-boat men felt justified for their actions, as it was determined Drechsler had been working with American authorities to gain military information from other POWs.

On the back row, of the fourteen POW graves, the seven graves to the far right are the U-boat men's, from left to right...

Plastic bouquets and small faded flags were already in place at each headstone, indicating the local woman was still visiting this site quite regulalry.

A local German-American woman visits regularly by all accounts, and plastic flowers were still evident on many of the gavesites.

The other seven of the fourteen gravesites were German POWs executed for two separate deaths of another German POW, from left to right, with date of execution.

Walter Beyer, July 10, 1945
Berthold Seidel, July 10, 1945
Hans Demme, July 10, 1945
Hans Schomer, July 10, 1945
Willi Scholz, July 10, 1945
Erich Gauss, July 14, 1945
Rudolf Straub, July 14, 1945

***The first five (older sergeants in the Afrika Korps) were found guilty in the beating death of Johann Kunze at Camp Tonkawa in Oklahoma in November 1943. Kunze had been determined to have given the Americans information about secret installations in Hamburg, which would have been useful in Allied bombing raids.

***The last two (sergeants) were found guilty in the strangling death of Horst Guenther near Camp Gordon, Georgia in April 1944. Guenther had stood accused of warning American authorities of an ntended prisoner work stoppage and also that he liked jazz music, both indicating anti-German sentiments.

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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I believe this is the last one to be buried at this site. -FMC

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The old "United States Disciplinary Barracks", it is currently being demolished but they were kind enough to give me access to photograph what is still standing. -FMC

Entrance. - FMC

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I cannot describe this in a way that convey's the depth they put this prison into the earth. It is deep, indeed. Any cell's down there, well, you would never break free. - FMC

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Watch towers. - FMC

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Other watch towers. - FMC

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I took this one because I thought it odd, to have just the top stoop with all the barb wire and not the rest of the stairwell. - FMC

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Directorate of Programs and Services. -FMC

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Medical and dental services - FMC

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Evidently they still do use this as a current job in the prison (embroidery). - FMC

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Where JAG was housed. - FMC

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Have to tell you I am not sure what the purpose of the sunroom at the back of the building was for. - FMC

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This is the first of 2 images, showing how vast the Prison was in it's day. - FMC

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This is the same image as above only I zoomed and you can see the watch towers. - FMC

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Installation and furniture repair and Parole and Classification - FMC

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Another entrance to the old prison - FMC

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The rocks you see to the left, along side the prison, is the actual rock that was used when the prison was first constructed, inmates putting it one on top of the other, real hard time for sure. - FMC

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This the other side of the above sun room photo, who knows what it was used for. - FMC

[Former Military Chick]

I appreciate your candor. I do not know where to begin with my questions but perhaps you start with reflecting on the photo's that I took from the different areas of the ground. It seemed like it was a vast area, looking at older pictures, the institution is quite daunting. After they leveled the building it does not feel that way.

If you have any history passed down from inmates that are not known to the general public, that would be interesting as well.

I appreciate your kindness in offering to give a first hand account of your time there, thank you.

[exDBinmate]

If it is the same person (and i think it is), Robinson was a light skin blackguy with very distinct, almost asian eyes. He was built like a bodybuilder, extremely cut up and was known as "Suave Rob" by everyone. He was a lifer as I recall. He was transferred to the feds after I left. I couldn't remember his first name but when you wrote Tracy, I did a search at FBOP website for him. The site requires first and last name so I was never able to check up on him before. Here is what i found:

TRACY G ROBINSON 11036-045 39 Black M DECEASED

I don't know how he died but there were rumors while I was at the DB that he was HIV positive. Again, I don't know if that was true or what he died from. Perhaps you could shed some light on that? Hope this helped.

[exDBinmate]

The pic of the building you describe as "the other side of the sunroom building" was known as South gate. I entered thru south gate as a new inmate and left through south gate when released. Visitation was also held in a room off of south gate and all visitors entered and exited through south gate.

The "sunroom". I have to tell you that I can't recall if that was there when I was or not. I know that when the guard changes occurred, they came and left through south gate also. There was alot of traffic at south gate and it was controlled tightly. My guess as to the "sunroom" is that it served as a sally port and nothing more. Also, after visitation, inmates had to wait at south gate until count cleared. South gate was a critical control point that regulated who left and who entered the prison grounds at that gate.

The building you describe as Medical and Dental services was a minimum custody domicile called B-5. Sick call and the dentist was in the basement of this building under the stairs to the main entrance which housed minimum custody inmates on three floors. This building is inside the walls but was for minimum custody inmates, however as min custody they were eligible to work outside the walls and many did. This is also the building where the German POW's were hanged in the elevator shaft.

The barbed wire at the top of the staircase was to prevent inmates from climbing to the roof as one did before it was put there and escaped. I can't recall if it was Grandstaff or Yarbrough and Davis that escaped this way. I think Grandstaff. I think this stairway was accessible from the education building where they offered classes.

The "other entrance" you refer to was West gate. It was where inmates on outside work details exited the prison grounds and returned through after work. It is where most inmates who arrived at the DB as new inmates entered through. It was different from South gate in that it had a HUGE gate that opened up and vehicles could enter and exit the prison grounds. I think the wall at west gate was 40 feet high.

If you can find pics of aerial views of USDB I can point out a little known fact. The "castle" had a flag pole in front with a cement walkway to the entrance in front and it looped around to another entrance adjacent to the front administrative entrance. From the seven-step room on the top floor you had a perfect view of this flag pole and walkway. It was inmates who constructed it and from above you can clearly see the hammer and sickle logo of the former USSR. The walkways were the sickle and the handle to the hammer while the concrete slab where the flag pole stood served as the hammer head.

I'll look at the photos some more this weekend and see what else I can add. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to answer those as well.

[Clemenza]

The black underclass was f-cked up long before mass illegal immigration began.

[bad company]

Yep. That was him. I was in the Army with him when he got into trouble. He got 20 years for murder. As I understand he was transfered to the feds to be paroled. I lost track of him from there. He was a good guy when I knew him. Sad.

[birbear]

I love it!

[bad company]

Three years is a rather short stay there. You mind me asking how you got your tail in that crack?

[exDBinmate]

Who did Rob kill? Do you know the circumstances behind it?

As for me, I spent my first year at the Marine Corps brig in Camp Pemdleton and then transferred to USDB for another three years. I can tell you that there was nothing short about my stay there.

I was convicted of numerous national security offenses.
Portions of my court-martial were classified so i am only allowed to tell "parts" of my story, which when told don't make alot of sense or at the least, don't make me look very good.

My sentence was originally 15 years but after serving 3 years, the Secretary of the Navy granted me clemency WITHOUT COMMENT by reducing my sentence to 8 years. I did another year and was paroled after serving half my time. I then spent the next 4 years on parole. I'm happy to say that I've been home for 11 years now.

I loved the military but the military "justice" system is a different beast entirely. If you are unfortunate enough to be in it's sights (for WHATEVER reason), you are screwed. The military enjoys a 98% conviction rate. Perhaps like Stalinist Russia, I suppose only the guilty are charged?

[exDBinmate]

I'm not sure what the conservative view is on prisons in general but I'll offer this and see what responses follow.

The drug laws that have boosted the incarceration rate of the US to being #1 in the world and fills our prisons to over 2 million of our citizens is quite profitable.

Why do we keep building more and more prisons? Well, besides the fact that they need someplace to put everyone they are locking up, there is big money to be made in prisons.

Most prisoners are minorities, though not necessarily racial minorities. Prison labor produces BILLIONS of dollars in revenue. Prison labor has replaced the slave trade in this country. Think about it. Slavery is unacceptable, but by using prisoners to make money off of there is no public outcry. After-all, prisons protect us from criminals and those criminals shouldn't be allowed to have a free ride! Sound familiar?

Before you flip out on me you may want to reread the post a couple times and make sure you understand what I am saying.

I believe there is a need for law and order and for prisons to protect society from the dangerous derelicts that infect it. I am speaking mostly about the drug laws that comprise the majority of prison sentences.

The government has a good thing going. I don't see the complete privatization of the prison industry occurring anytime soon.

As for the military. I agree with the need for a Uniform Code of Military Justice to maintain good order and discipline within the ranks. But have you ever wondered why there is a USDB in the first place? Yes you heard me right, why is there a USDB run by the Department of Defense, housing Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine prisoners?

I understand the function of a brig or stockade, where servicemen are confined for a period of time and then returned to duty. But why does the military hang on to ex-servicemembers who are never going to return to duty or never going to return anywhere for many?

The military isn't in the business of running prisons....is it? (remember, there is BIG money in prisons). USDB generates ALOT of revenue!

USDB typically transfers prisoners to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. You know the FBOP right? They are actually in the business of incarcerating people. We do not call the FBOP to wage war. USDB hangs on to these guys for 10,15 years and then ships them to the feds to make room for some newly convicted lifers. They then keep these guys for 10-20 years and fuel their money machine with them.

Why don't they send convicted service-members sentenced to a punitive discharge and long term confinement to the FBOP in the first place? It's not like these guys are going home. If you read the above, I have already answered the question.

Everyone always complains about how much it costs to house prisoners but they don't understand. The taxpayers (US)are footing the bill and the government (state and federal) collect the profits of prison labor with no overhead. And they even have you feeling good about it. Why it would be down right un-American to disagree.

Don't you feel "safer" now? I'm sure that given the nature of my past, my comments will be seen as anti-american by some but people are entitled to their own opinion. I think that there is a difference between the GOVERNMENT AND the CITIZENS of this great COUNTRY. God bless America!

[Former Military Chick]

First off friends, I would understand if you skip this comment. For those who continue, you may recall my background and an open mind to listen and in the end offer thoughts on this subject without rudeness. As I have always believed we can always agree to disagree but should do so with the utmost respect for another.

Quick note, I created this thread because I felt there was great history in the walls of this prison. Why it came about, how long it took to build, who was housed there, how the inmates passed their time. I was lucky enough to read some remarks from folks who had worked at the facility and their memories were quite helpful.

I DID NOT think I would actually hear from a former inmate. Further, was not sure how I would handle such a correspondence. As I am the victim of a violent crime and have some strong feelings about folks who commit crimes and find themselves in prison for their actions. I have posted my experience on this thread should you want to read a bit more of what happened to me. But, in the end I am tough on crime.

The new Freeper exDBinmate, and I say welcome, took a risk by offering his reflections based on his incarceration at the prison. I will say, I can vouch for him, he is indeed who he claims to be, but, I will not publicly share his name, if he should wish to do so that would be his choice. He did keep his word and did reply back of his experiences at the USDB as you see by comment #103. It is somewhat generic, but I had not given specific questions. Partly because if this were a hoax I did not want to put in such an investment.

Now I am putting in the investment, because he is who he says he is. I also think that the USDB is an institution worth talking about and preserving it's history. I have found so little on the prison, the day to day workings, I suppose I am talking about the nuts and bolts. Not the "Military Standard" SOP. I had only found one book on the historic prison, it was several years old and frankly did not offer what I think it should to protect the integrity of the institution. So my contribution, to take photo's and share what I have found.

He had mentioned about the German inmates who were executed in the elevator shaft. While I had been able to confirm that through the Post, there is nothing on the WWW about that, I take that back, a gentleman put together a website, where he took photo's years back, gave a brief description but has not updated nor answered my emails.

So, those executions are not folk lore, it happened. The German Community here in Leavenworth still, each year put's flower's on the graves of the inmates. It was a political hot potato for this community like none other. There are pictures of those grave markers. But, that is amazing history. My mother who is German had no idea of that, so once again, history I suppose is only in the eye's of the person searching for it.

I can still recall years ago, when my father and mother took a road trip (dad was assigned to an AFB south of Kansas City, MO) and we came to take a look at Ft Leavenworth, the inmates were working at the commissary, carrying out your groceries. That has ceased I am not sure when, perhaps exDBinmate knows. Of course the prisoner's have been moved and while the new prison is not far, it is not the stones throw it was with the original prison.

I am a history buff. Many have had the opportunity to see the photo's and I have appreciated the support in this pictorial essay if one can call it that. It is one thing to look at the building, shoot the photo's but it is like a ghost town, and little out there of it's daily workings. If you check further down, exDBinmate has offered his thoughts at comment #109 on the military prison system and again I hope we will have that open discussion that I have come to count on from my fellow Freepers.

Some say I am fair minded, I hope it shows.

[Former Military Chick]

my thoughts on being a victim of a violent crime (a response to a news item)

[Hunble]

Outstanding information for those of us who love military history. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[bad company]

Who did Rob kill? Do you know the circumstances behind it?

One day I saw Rob extremely drunk in the barracks. He wasn't much of a drinker, I had never even seen him tipsy before that. The next day he was under arrest for raping and killing his sister in law. He was never an angry or violent person. What happened was a real shocker.

[Gucho]

Some say I am fair minded, I hope it shows.


Bump - Thank you for the informative history and photos.

[Happy2BMe]

Fascinating. Glad you rehabbed and survived.

Congratulations.

[Former Military Chick]

Thank your for your supportive remarks. I did enjoy taking the photo's but as the saying goes, if the walls could talk, but I could not find anyone to tell me. I suppose I could have gone to the new facility to talk to an old timer but that was just a bit to much at least at this time.

With the kindness of our new Freeper, he provided insight into a several of the photo's and it did reinforce what I had learned of the prison.

Just one of the stories I learned. Evidently the old prison did not have certain facilities so they would bring the inmates to the medical hospital on post, the one frequented by spouses and children.

This was years back, BTW, anyway the guy was escorted by to MPs. He was to get an x-ray. The movement was uneventful, that is until he got into the x-ray room. He evidently tackled the guard, one in there with him, took his gun, then shot his escort and tried to shoot at the x-ray tech.

Needless to say, this changed their SOP, the next time he returned and he needed to, the cops were not gentle with him after his previous antics and the prisoner was placed on a gurney. Tied him to the gurney, then took another gurney placed it on top of the inmate, like a sandwich and that is how he was escorted the remainder of his days.

[Eaker]

Amazing.

Were there any signals that he might do something like this??

[digitalbrownshirt]

They were more gentle than I would have been. His next trip would have been inside of a box, and it'd be just one way.

[Tax-chick]

Thank you, FMC, and to exDBinmate, for taking the trouble to provide this fascinating history.

[exDBinmate]

bad company,
The story of Rob is typical of many young servicemen.
I can't tell you how many similar stories I've heard from other guys confined at the DB for murder. Many were only 18, 19, 20 years old at the time of their offense. Alcohol/drugs were invariably a factor. Nothing excuses what they did but it's such a shame that they wasted the lives of their victims and forfeited their own as well in a momentary fit of drunken rage. To arrive at the DB at the age of 19 or 20, with a life sentence to serve is grim indeed. I wonder if Rob was even old enough to drink when he committed his crime? Imagine if your son was sentenced to life in Leavenworth. It must have been terrible on his family too. He ruined many lives that day.

FMC,
thanks for the other photos. You had some good aerial ones but they were apparently too old to show the hammer and sickle design incorporated into the flagpole out front. The walkway to the flagpole and flagpole itself were the same when I was there but the other walkway was different and looped around into the "sickle" shape that completed the logo. I guess it would have to be a photo from the early to mid-90's to show what I am talking about.

I remember inmates working at the commissary while I was there. It was a coveted job and I think it may have even been a paying job. I think it was stopped because inmates were fraternizing with women (or the other way around) and it was a source of contraband into the prison.

I also heard a rumor of a guard who supposedly committed suicide in one of the watchtowers. It didn't happen while I was there but was supposed to have happened many years before.

Inmates were treated for certain things at Munson Army Hospital. Your security classification dictated the type of security needed to transport you. Minimum custody inmates could be escorted with no restraints while max custody inmate would have full restraints and several escorts. The story you speak of I have no heard but it is possible that it happened. If you find out more please post. I seem to recall another thread where someone posted that his grandfather was killed by an inmate at the DB while a guard there? Perhaps there is a connection.

As for the gurneys you described used to escort the inmate afterwards, it reminds me of a practice once used at the DB called the cocoon. They would place you on an old army MASH stretcher and then place another stretcher over top of you and tape the handles and canvas together with duct tape (100 mile per hour tape). You would be in full restraints also (handcuffs, leg irons and belly chain). They would leave you like that as long as they felt like it, sometimes for 2 or 3 days. They would intermittently beat you through the stretchers and you had to lie in your own urine and feces. They would also throw the cocoon while you were in it. It was difficult to breathe and very hot. They called it behavior modification.
I don't think it necessarily modifies behavior for the good though.

You mentioned that you could have interviewed an old timer. I don't think so. The military prohibits inmates from being interviewed. I had several reporters who tried unsuccessfully to interview me over the years. A friend of mine and fellow inmate, Clayton LoneTree had tons of reporters including "60 Minutes" that wanted to interview him. They were all denied access. Having said that, I don't think there are too many pics of the inside of the DB out there. The press corps has never stepped foot inside the castle and now never will because it's been razed. I've seen a couple at www.militaryinjustice.org but that's about it. Very rare pics that you have FMC.