Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility

Official Army photo of the prison in 2011

The Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility is a military prison at at 830 Sabalu Road, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas which opened in 2010.

The 224,736-square-foot (20,878.7 m²) prison on 45 acres (18 ha) has a design specification of 512 beds with 43 in special housing and the rest in general housing and dormitory. The prison handles inmates sentenced to terms of five years or less. It also will house people who are awaiting trial.^[1]

It is one of three major federal prisons on the grounds of Fort Leavenworth. The other two are the civilian United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth on the southwest edge and the United States Disciplinary Barracks on the northeast side by Sherman Army Airfield. The Joint Regional Correctional Facility is across Coffin Road just southwest of the Disciplinary Barracks.^[2]

The prison opened as part of the Base Realignment and Closure with the consolidating (and closing) of prisons in Lackland Air Force Base, Fort Sill and Fort Knox.^[2][3]

The prison, rather than using traditional block house construction, utilizes modular cells.^[2]

The facility has 480 geothermal wells, each 280 feet (85 m) deep to handle its cooling and heating.^[4]

The street reaching it is named for Master Sgt. Wilberto Sabalu Jr., an Army Corrections non-commissioned officer killed in a small arms attack in the Afghanistan War on 6 May 2007.^[5]

Notable inmates

• Terrence Lee Lakin, convicted of not following to orders to deploy to Afghanistan after he argued that the commander in chief Barack Obama was not legally the President because of birther issues
• Bradley Manning, accused of leaking government documents to Wikileaks^[6]
• John M. Russell, accused of killing 5 in the Camp Liberty killings^[7]

References

1. ^ Richmeier, John. "Fort opens new prison – Leavenworth, KS". Leavenworth Times. http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/features/x1551225683/Fort-opens-new-prison. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility – Portfolio – JE Dunn Construction Company". Jedunn.com. http://www.jedunn.com/portfolio/0/1807891/. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
3. ^ "2010 U.S. Army Posture Statement". Secureweb2.hqda.pentagon.mil. 8 October 2010. https://secureweb2.hqda.pentagon.mil/vdas_armyposturestatement/2010/information_papers/Army_Corrections_System.asp. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
4. ^ "Joint Regional Correctional Facility taps geothermal energy for heating, cooling". Army.mil. 16 September 2010. http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/09/16/45296-joint-regional-correctional-facility-taps-geothermal-energy-for-heating-cooling/. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
5. ^ "Army Celebrates "Super Tuesday" At Fort Leavenworth, Kan. – Corrections Today". Faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/periodicals/201012/2272833911.html. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
6. ^ http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/20/2815672/accused-wikileaks-informant-moved.html
7. ^ http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/x782936927/Hearing-scheduled-for-soldier-accused-of-murder

Coordinates: 39°22′25″N 94°56′38″W / 39.3735707°N 94.9438906°W / 39.3735707; -94.9438906