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McNeil Island Penitentiary (detention facility)
| US Gov Name | McNeil Island Penitentiary |
|---|---|
| Facility Type | U.S. Federal Prison |
| Administrative Agency | U.S. Bureau of Prisons |
| Location | McNeil Island, Washington (47.2000 lat, -122.6833 lng) |
| Date Opened | |
| Date Closed | |
| Population Description | Younger draft resisters from Heart Mountain and Minidoka incarceration camps were held here. Gordon Hirabayashi was also imprisoned here for draft resistance. |
| General Description | Work prison located on an island in the southern portion of Puget Sound, 10 miles southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Currently a medium-security state correctional facility holding about 1,000 male inmates. |
| Peak Population | |
| National Park Service Info | |
- On June 26, 1944, sixty-three resisters from Heart Mountain were convicted by a federal grand jury and sentenced to jail terms. Thirty-three of the younger resisters were sent to McNeil Island, while the others were sent to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary . Thirty resisters from Minidoka were also convicted and sentenced to McNeil Island in October 1944. They were joined by a second group of Heart Mountain resisters in July 1945.
- McNeil Island was a work prison and inmates held a variety of jobs, including canning fish, clearing land, and farming.
- World War II draft resisters, including Nisei draft resisters, were pardoned by President Harry S. Truman on December 24, 1947.
Last updated July 15, 2015, 1:06 a.m..
