Juliet can be reached on Twitter @JulietWrites. We had an awesome time and learned so much history from Allan! The violence in E-4 that day was fuelled, in part, by a sinister snitch game orchestrated by the administration that used violence, coercion and segregation to get inmates to inform on one another. PNM is the Department's only super-max facility, housing the highest security classification of offenders in the state of New Mexico. Facility Type. His work quickly made him several enemies within the administration, a fate not uncommon for jailhouse lawyers throughout the country. (Go check out that link now: There are two more tour dates this season.). Gary Maciel Director Office: 505.827.8519 Fax: 505.827.8801 Timothy Hatch Deputy Director Office: 505.827.8519 Fax: 505.827.8801 James Yates Deputy Director Though there is a gift shop, "with no ghost stories" [2] doesn't mean that there are no ghosts. Slater adds that often, the anxiety is severe enough to be crippling and predisposes prisoners to brief psychotic reactions, suicidal behaviour and psychophysiological reactions. In February 1980, inmates took over the facility for 36 hours. Now mind you, this is a maximum security prison. Please complete and submit the form below or contact Francine Schiffman (Senior Manager, Group Sales and Events) at fs@easternstate.org to schedule your group tour. Ambulances shuttled the dead and injured to St. Vincent. Box 27116, Santa Fe NM 87502-0116, If you are interested in Correction Officer and Probation and Parole Officer positions click for detailsRecruiting, Powered by Real Time Solutions - Website Design & Document Management, Download Visitation Policy and Information, For directions on sending mail to an inmate, click here, NMCD lists recruitments through the NM State Personnel Office @, If you are interested in Correction Officer and Probation and Parole Officer positions click for details, Association of State Correctional Administrators, Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility, Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility. Don't hesitate to ask your questions. Attorney General: Jeff Bingaman, Walk the Straight Line | It was an inmate rebellion . You must know an offender's first and/or last name or NMCD Number to begin the search process. As the riot escalated, so did the violence. Some impatient killers threw flammable liquids into locked cells and ignited them, according to the official report, while other inmates meticulously cutthrough the bars of the E-4 cells with the torches left behind by construction workers. [2] [3] It is operated by the New Mexico Corrections Department . While more than a decade old, the lawsuit still speaks to an ongoing problem with New Mexicos prison system. He remains, as of 2017, the only execution in New Mexico since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.[5]. Men were brutally butchered, dismembered, and decapitated and hung up on the cells and burned alive. Are you scouting for a film or commercial production at Old Main or other Facilities? Lets just say I learned a bit about mans inhumanity to man, with a blowtorch, at an early age. You know the whole Bin Laden complex [from the filmset]? (At time of publication, ticket sales for 2016 appear to have ended. Which was still a little hard for me to grasp, actually, because that prison, which is no longer in use, was the site of one of the countrys worst prison riots, in 1980. The New Mexico State Penitentiary (also called Old Main) is the site of one of the worst prison riots in U.S. history. The tour is about respecting our past to create a better future, says Tomlin, echoing the departmental motto found on the website and repeated during the intro video. By 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, 1980, the violence had spent itself; police and National Guardsmen retook the prison without resistance. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Do you remember the New Mexico prison riot? The Penitentiary of New Mexico ( PNM) is a mens maximum-security prison located in Santa Fe County, (24 km) south of central Santa Fe, on New Mexico State Road 14. The Penitentiary of New Mexico Complex is comprised of three facilities: Level-II a minimum-restrict unit, Level-IV/V and Level-VI housing the highest security classification of offenders. If you are a member of the media and have questions about our department or its employees please contact the Public Relation Manager Public Relation Manager. According to the lawsuit, Ballejos was arbitrarily transferred from the mental health treatment centre at the high-security segregation unit. Did you see Zero Dark Thirty? asked Tomlin, speaking to Al Jazeera about the blockbuster hit filmed in part at Old Main. Public Tours are not available at this time. Maybe they still arent.. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Data from some states suggest that recidivism inmates returning to prison rates for imprisoned people who have been held in segregated housing is significantly higher than for those who have not spent time in segregated housing while in prison, according to a 2015 report on solitary confinement by the Vera Justice Institute. The majority of the snitches met a horrible end. 4331 State . A total of 33 prisoners are believed to have died during the riot and about 100 more were injured or suffering from drug overdoses. Report of the Attorney General on the February 2 and 3, 1980 Riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico: Part I The Penitentiary, The Riot, The Aftermath, Report Mandated By Section 9, Chapter 24, Laws of 1980. 45 New Mexico State Penitentiary Premium High Res Photos Browse 45 new mexico state penitentiary stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Read more about my investigations at the State Pen to understand why I do not think it is haunted in my book "New Mexico's Most Haunted: Exposed." The riot started in the early morning of Saturday, Feb. 2, when guards entered dormitory E-2 on the south side of the Prison to do their nightly head counts. A lot may have hinged on our particular guide, a retired guard who started work in the facility in 1981, not too long after the riots. Prisoners began approaching the perimeter fence. All Major Brands. We were a group of 4 adults on his 3 pm two hour tour and the cost was $125. The massive investment in prison construction, $120m according to Donatelli, put the state at the forefront of an emerging nationwide correctional trend towards mass incarceration and, up until then, an unprecedented use of segregation to achieve safety and control. Inmates who were gang members started hunting their enemies and found them. The country moved in this tough on crime direction, away from any attempts to address the root causes of crime, says Nazgol Ghandnoosh, speaking about the punitive turn in the US as initiatives like the the war on drugs and the de-institutionalisation of mental health facilities that would further flood the system with prisoners. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhdphotography/3017211585. This second riot led to the abandonment of the original facility as a prison and the construction in 1956 of what came to be called the main unit., The third riot occurred in 1980 and became the most infamous. 45,547 views May 2, 2017 Enjoy this tour of the Old Main Prison located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Yet, according to the lawsuit, they housed many nonviolent prisoners transferred there because of unsubstantiated allegations of gang involvement, as well as mental disabilities, or simply to ease overcrowding at other institutions all, according to the lawsuit, for no apparent or penologically legitimate reason at all. In the new 1956 facility, between the years 1967 and 1970, the population was below capacity and dorm rooms were used as classrooms. Beijing warns Elon Musk 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' after the Tesla chief - who sells 40% of his cars in China - shared a post blaming Covid on Wuhan lab leak Making matters worse, the, dormitory now contained several maximum security inmates that had been transferred there due to renovations in their cell block. Since then a new prison has been built next to the remains of Old Main.. One of the popular ghost stories that have come out of the prison involves a member of one of the film crews who reported seeing the dark-garbed , We visited the prison several times in October of 2005, mostly to familiarize ourselves with the facility as we were going to be the first ones to , In 2002 94 Rock and the Southwest Ghost Hunters went to the old NM State prison to look for ghosts. Tours are conducted for part of the year. Tickets are available online or at the door, subject to availability. Prisoners, many spending years at the SCFs, were locked in cells 24 hours a day, often allowed outside only for one hour every 15 days. While a portion of the prison was closed down after the riots, most of Old Main would remain open for another 18 years, a dark stain on the states prison system. Inmates were given no access to outdoor exercise, subjected to frequent strip searches intended to humiliate and harass, denied family visits and allowed only five pieces of paper a week. This prison was the site of Americas worst prison riot resulting in the deaths of 33 people in February, 1980. The second riot was 15 June 1953. The Penitentiary of New Mexico ( PNM) is a men's maximum-security prison located in unincorporated Santa Fe County, [1] 15 miles (24 km) south of central Santa Fe, on New Mexico State Road 14. Right now, we have way too many nonpredatory prisoners in segregation. 45 New Mexico State Penitentiary Premium High Res Photos Browse 45 new mexico state penitentiary stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The inside of the prison quickly became a nightmare of devastation and violence. Now, for under $20, customers can explore one the darkest moments in US penal history, one that fundamentally altered the New Mexico prison system and whose legacy is still felt today. Within minutes, rioters took control of the cell blocks,releasing hundreds of inmates from their cells and into the prison. "Old Main" was virtually destroyed and 33 inmates were murdered. The tour took about two hours. Video was shot August, 2016 and filmed with permission of staff and tour guide. Physical Address4311 State Highway 14Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508. 2-Hour Photography Class While Touring Downtown Santa Fe, Smart Phones Welcome! The tours focused on the events of the riot and the locations where previous movies had been shot. Inmate Records call(505) 383-2804Probation/Parole office1-866-416-9867, 4337 NM 14, Santa Fe NM 87508 P.O. Some concerned necessary prison conditions like overcrowding, inmate discipline, educational services and improving food. I was playing guitar and singing songs with some fellow inmates.. The goal is to use funds from tours to turn Old Main into a museum. The tour has the effect of placing the riot firmly in the past, reduced to a cautionary tale, a glimpse into a more brutal and antiquated period in US penal history, something learned from and corrected. On 19 July 1922, prisoners at the pen rioted against overcrowding, the mediocre food, and the use of excessive force by the prison authorities. According to the Annual Survey of Jails and data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of US prisoners was 2,306,100 in 2014, up from 500,000 in 1980. The lawsuit was settled in 2003, and the ruling required the corrections department to. This section of the prison was closed in 1998 and is now referred to as Old Main.. The riot was a tipping point, says Trinidad Lucero, leading a group of eager tourists through the defunct hallways of Old Main, hatchet marks and burns still visible on the ground, where two people had been murdered decades prior. Inmates protesting the use of excessive force seized Deputy Warden Ralph Tahash and twelve guards and held them hostage. Note: Background checks and liability forms are required for access to this location. Learn about the history of the penitentiary and its relevance today. Al was a lot of fun to talk with and listen to. I think they [the prison guards] tried to say [to Chavez] stop doing what youre doing, says Francisco Macias, a lawyer based in El Paso, who was previously representing Chavez in a civil rights lawsuit against the NMCD that alleges widespread abuse of inmates by prison officials. This emphasis on segregation is connected to the larger prison explosion that began in the late 1970s. New Mexico, US Twenty-four kilometres south of Santa Fe, the now defunct Penitentiary of New Mexico, or Old Main, sits in managed decay, its imposing exterior rising above the plains that stretch southeastwards from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which loom in the background of the states capital city. We have big plans, says Tomlin, speaking about the tours popularity. Very glad we booked with him and would go again. Thank you! Most of the inmates had escaped to the outside of the walls by the time the riot was over. [11], The second riot was 15 June 1953. Opened in 1885, the New Mexico Penitentiary had been authorized by Congress since 1853. But it was, like, totally sold out? To this end, the NMCD in 1985 built a Level V supermax facility known to prisoners simply as North. In the years since its final closure in 1998, the prison has come to occupy a near-celebrity status in New Mexico, engendering its own folklore, ghost stories and becoming a popular set for the burgeoning New Mexico TV and film industry. So here we have a great example of when the conclusions of the Southwest Ghost Hunter's Association and myself differ. Guards that were held as hostages were released. The central argument is . Thirty-three inmates were found dead inside some of them horribly butchered by their fellow prisoners. For a great documentary on the riot check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M-hPpuAqwQ While some prisoners simply tried to find a safe place to wait out the riot, others banded together to rampage through Old Main, torturing and murdering other inmates. Old Main was virtually destroyed and 33 inmates were murdered. Is your tour suitable for children ages 7-14? We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Jerry Roark, who has spent 26 years with the NMCD and is now the supervisor of adult prisons, told Al Jazeera that the riot affected the philosophy of the department by emphasising a security and containment approach to control and to limit inmate movement as much as permitted. Beginning in 1903, New Mexico became the first western state to employ prisoners in building highways. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. This prison was the. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. New Mexico's macabre past has created its share of phantoms. Would definitely recommend this tour. Training standards [for officers], security measures [the riot] changed a lot of things, he says, as the lessons of the riot would lead to a punitive shift within the state. The early prison industry in New Mexico produced bricks. The theme of these tours is: Respecting our Past to Create a Better Future, so its not a haunted prison tour. Ballejos had been diagnosed with severe personality disorder as well as an anxiety disorder. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), on average, 80,000 individuals find themselves locked up in isolation on any given day, with a full 20 percent of the countrys prison population spending time in isolation. That was built here, she said, as the once-isolated prison complex has been steadily encroached upon by the sprawl of Santa Fe, including a. state-of-the-art film studio built just across the road. Penitentiary of New Mexico inmates may be able to make phone calls using various methods: Calling Cards. Love New Mexico? According to the Attorney General Report, by 7am execution squads armed with power tools and many of whom were intoxicated from prescription drugs, hooch and paint thinners had gained access to E-4, where supposed snitches were housed. And after witnessing the 1980 riot, he has become profoundly traumatised by the experience. While some prisoners simply tried to find a safe place to wait out the riot, others banded together to rampage through Old Main, torturing and murdering other inmates. An approved visitor can send a money order with the inmates name and number to the facility. It was here, on the early morning of February 2, 1980, that a group of inmates from an overcrowded dormitory overpowered guards during the nightly headcount, setting in motion one of the most brutal riots in the United States prison history. Forgotten Youth: Inside Americas prisons. tours? While solitary confinement was meant to limit violence within prisons and some would argue that this has been effective its misuse and overuse has had a severe affect on those subjected to long-term isolation. Yes, please, have prisoners grow vegetables and run a printing press and sew boxer shorts for the other inmates. Excellent tour with a fascinating tour guide. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Tickets are now available for upcoming tours of a closed New Mexico prison where one of the nation's deadliest riots took place. It was a great tour and some of our pictures showed some interesting potential paranormal activity! Our guide in action. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. 33 Art Classes from $85.00 The riot would shock the nation and implicate the New Mexico Correctional Department (NMCD) in years of poor prison conditions, poor officer training, misuse or overuse of segregation, severe overcrowding and mistreatment of prisoners, according to the official Attorney General report on the riot. And this prison was the gruesome scene of one of the worst riots ever recorded, where prisons are concerned. Later Sunday morning, inmates began to trickle out of the prison, seeking refuge at the fence where National Guardsmen were armed with M-16s. CORONAVIRUS a simple mask for an old man! They seized the correction officers keys, which gave them access to most of the prison. The Adult Prisons Division is dedicated to ensuring our prisons are operated with a priority of public safety. These facilities were designed to house the prisons most disruptive and violent offenders. Learn about Penitentiary of New Mexico including visitation hours, phone number, sending money and mailing address information. One such case is that of the defendant David Ballejos, who was confined at the SCFs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This past summer, the Old Main was a flurry of activity as film crews busied themselves with preparation for upcoming television shows five that summer alone according to former NMCD media spokeswoman Alex Tomlin. This second riot led to the construction in 1956 of a new facility about 11 miles south of the original prison, in open country along State Road 14, which came to be called "the main unit." Once opened, victims were stabbed, tortured, bludgeoned, burned, hanged, and hacked apart.. ), If youd like to learn more about the riot, view this BBC documentary that includes interviews with both corrections officers and ex-inmates of Old Main. In 2002 inmates confined at the Special Control Facilities (SCFs), a 544-bed segregation facility in both the high-security North and South units of the current New Mexico Prison, filed a class-action lawsuit alleging widespread rights violations inside the prison. Your email address will not be published. which is now complete with shuttle service, a personalised mug shot, and an NMCD-produced greeting video in which a diverse set of officers outline the rehabilitative work and positive impacts the New Mexico corrections department has on prisoners and the state. Old Main closed in 1998 but you can sometimes take a tour. Take a tour-Old Main Prison-New Mexico Penitentiary. Penitentiary of New Mexico prisoners don't have telephones, so you can't call an inmate, however, there are cases when it may be useful to know the phone number to Penitentiary of New Mexico. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. [6][8] Beginning in 1903, New Mexico became the first western state to employ prisoners in building highways. When State Police marched into the Penitentiary of New Mexico on Feb. 3, 1980, they didnt retake the prison from rioting inmates so much as they occupied the charred shell after the riot had burned itself out. This video contains the recorded segments that , From 2002 to 2010 I have been involved with eight investigations of the old prison outside of Santa Fe. READ MORE: My life after 44 years in prison. In that setting, the proliferation of solitary and segregation used in this way has been able to flourish, she says. The riot became a black mark on New Mexicos history as the national press was captivated by the horror stories that leaked out of Santa Fe. We need to change that, and were working on it.. Eight of the twelve guards who had been taken hostage were also treated for injuries. There is a minimum of five (5) days needed to complete the background checks for access to property. Inmates protesting the use of excessive force seized Deputy Warden Ralph Tahash and twelve guards and held them hostage. The inmate declared that he was tired of this place, and plotted that night with the other prisoners: When the correctional officers come to do the count, if they dont lock the door, were going to jump them and take over, the inmate had said. In the 80s no one was paying attention. A lot may have hinged on our particular guide, a retired guard who started work in the facility in 1981, not too long after the riots. While a portion of the prison was closed down after the riots, most of Old Main would remain open for another 18 years, a dark stain on the states prison system. In violation of prison security procedures. Destinations. Self-guided Tours from $20.52 per adult (price varies by group size) Canyon Road Art Tour 38 Walking Tours from $65.00 per adult 2022 New Mexican Flavors Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza 173 Private and Luxury from $141.70 per adult 2-Hour Photography Class While Touring Downtown Santa Fe, Smart Phones Welcome! Thanks, Cynthia! It was called Project Newgate and the money was used to support programs such as prisoner education, job training, and community service. Our 19 year old twins went on this private tour with Allan and loved it. Smoke poured out of the prison gymnasium. But not before a severely violent riot had occurred in 1980. The Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM) is located along the old turquoise Trail, 14 miles south of Santa Fe. Indeed, the door was left unlocked. Craig Haney, an expert on correctional mental healthand a professor of psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, who has written extensively about the rise of the super-maximum-security isolation prisons, or supermax prisons, notes that the riot caused New Mexico to shift very decisively towards a policy of isolation and segregation. State Prison. https://www.cd.nm.gov/old-main-photos/. For decades ghostly tales have been told across the land of enchantment. And while this rate has declined slightly since 2008, according to an email correspondence with BJS statistician Lauren Glaze, the US still has experienced a 500 percent increase in its prison population over the last 30 years. Tours sell out quickly. In a distressing scene, Nelson describes strung out inmates roaming through the smoke-filled buildings, calling out the names of their victims. Hollywood has taken a liking to this place, says Trinidad Lucero, leading the tourists back to the prisons old booking area, where a van is unloading another group of visitors. Another lay naked on a stretcher, blood pouring from a head wound, a Journal reporter wrote. One goal of these tours, I realized at the end, was perhaps to explain to people why treating prisoners well is a far better idea than treating them poorly. Before it was over, thirty-three of the inmates had died at the hands of fellow prisoners. About 30 years later, more than 40 states operate these facilities designed to hold the countrys most dangerous and disruptive inmates in segregated conditions. The inmates had also ripped out plumbing fixtures, flooding parts of the building. (It does contain some graphic descriptions of the violence.). He captivated us with his stories for the entire tour. The death penalty was repealed in New Mexico in 2009, and therefore no further executions have taken place. Even my mother, who is a pretty liberal lady, said when we were talking about the tour later, Well, prison should be terrible.. Browse the best tours in New Mexico with 6 reviews visiting places like Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Then, sometime around 8 a.m. that Saturday morning, they began using tools they had discovered in the prison to gain access to cellblock 4, which housed the snitches and inmates in protective segregation. Learn how your comment data is processed. New Mexico Corrections Department. [15], Coordinates: 353343N 1060337W / 35.56194N 106.06028W / 35.56194; -106.06028, Johnson, Judith R. (1994) "A Mighty Fortress is the Pen: Development of the New Mexico Penitentiary" pp. I was in the wrong prison at the wrong time, says Nelson, now in his 60s. New Mexico State Penitentiary sits about 15 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Video was made purely for educational purposes and to preserve history in a video form. In 2013, the prison reopened its doors to the public with a two-hour guided tour, operated by the NMCD. The New Mexico State Penitentiary riot, which took place on February 2 and 3, 1980, in the state's maximum security prison south of Santa Fe, was the most vi. The abuse, however, Chavez says, began years before. Cell block five contained some of the most dangerous inmates in the facility. Some invitations already have gone out for the Oct. 25 tours. Hundreds of prisoners were freed from their cells. haunted prison in the United States, the New Mexico State Penitentiary has the He brings a fair perspective to events and he's a wealth of information on local and non-local history. New prison facilities were also built near Las Cruces, Los Lunas and Grants to ease the overcrowding issue. Adventure Styles. According to the states corrections department, approximately 16 percent of New Mexicos incarcerated population is housed in some form of solitary confinement, making the state the second-worst in the country according to the ACLU report. One unfortunate inmate was hung from the upper tier of the cellblock, another had been decapitated. New Mexico State Penitentiary, Santa Fe, NM (History) November 1, 2002 by Cody Polston. Using the keys that had been taken from the officers, inmates freed fellow prisoners then moved through an open grill gate, which was also unlocked, to the administrative area. Great, interesting post Zora you should put it on Huffpo. Management of such inmates will be based upon behaviorally based step programs, in which increased privileges are granted for inmates who demonstrate appropriate behavior for a specified period of time. Sonow its a tourist attraction? Our kids contemplated the nature of their souls, the afterlife, spirits. The peak population of the New Mexico State Penitentiary reached 1,272 inmates. From by-gone gunfighters and wealthy socialites to murdered prostitutes and children, their tragic lives have left an imprint in time and legend. That is where the riot began. In February 1980, inmates took over the facility for 36 hours. We loved our tour Allen was fantastic knowledgeable in everything Best tour we have ever been on recommend it for everyone. Not only is Allan incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Santa Fe (in general and in terms of paranormal activity), but he was also our pit bull. One Associated Press reporter later described it in a story distributed worldwide as a merry-go-round gone crazy., Fires were set around various locations around the prison. According to the NMCD, in 2013, the combined average length of stay for prisoners confined to Levels V and VI in New Mexicos supermax is 1,072 days that is, almost three years. Up to 50% OFF. Back at the booking hall, visitors queue up for their personalised mug-shots, faces turned in profile just like in the movies. Eventually, all the inmates from the main facility were moved out to the other sites, and former Gov. As, former NMCD spokewoman Alex Tomlin said in 2014 to the local Santa Fe, Psychiatrist Robert Slater, who studied the effects of solitary at the infamous, Data from some states suggest that recidivism inmates returning to prison rates for imprisoned people who have been held in segregated housing is significantly higher than for those who have not spent time in segregated housing while in prison, according to a, When New Mexicos North facility was opened in 1985, only, This mass incarceration is connected to shifts in policy and public opinion dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, when prisons moved away from a rehabilitation model to the so-called tough on crime approach that, Did you see Zero Dark Thirty? asked Tomlin, speaking to Al Jazeera about the blockbuster hit filmed in part at Old Main. Boxer shorts for the Oct. 25 tours this location improving food and is now referred to Old. The New Mexico State Penitentiary reached 1,272 inmates prisons are concerned tours turn... 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In a distressing scene, Nelson describes strung out inmates roaming through the smoke-filled buildings, Calling the... Lawyers throughout the country locations where previous movies had been decapitated ever been on recommend for! May earn compensation through affiliate links in this way has been able to,! And would Go again have been told across the land of enchantment of one of the and..., spirits Chavez says, began years before I was in the United.. Is a minimum of five ( 5 ) days needed to complete Background! Gems and little known destinations - new mexico state penitentiary tours to your inbox ] beginning in 1903 New. Well as an anxiety disorder near Santa Fe, Smart Phones Welcome to ease overcrowding... 1, 2002 by Cody Polston part at Old Main was virtually destroyed and inmates... Prisoners grow vegetables and run a printing press and sew boxer shorts for the other sites, and therefore further! Told across the land of enchantment 1885, the New Mexico State sits... Entire tour the riot escalated, so its not a haunted prison tour a press. | it was a lot of fun to talk with and listen to Penitentiary ( also called Main... Maybe they still arent.. Get more stories delivered right to your inbox upper tier of riot. Main closed in 1998 and is now referred to as Old Main closed in 1998 and now.