Arizona State Prison Complex - Florence
Encyclopedia
Arizona State Prison Complex – Florence also known as Florence State Prison (FSP) is one of 13 prison facilities operated by the Arizona Department of Corrections
(ADC). The main FSP prison is located in Florence
, Arizona
. The Florence complex also includes the Picacho Unit in unincorporated
Pinal County
and the Globe Unit in Globe
.
The Central Unit of ASPC-Florence has the state of Arizona’s death chamber.
In 1908 inmates finished building and opened the Arizona Prison at Florence. This new prison was to replace the territorial prison in Yuma
. The convicts lived in tents while constructing the prison. The new prison featured a death chamber. The chamber was scaffolding above the death row cells that had a trap door for hanging inmates which opened to a room below. In 1933 hanging was replaced with the gas chamber due to an incident during a hanging. Convicts from Florence were a cheap source of labor and the state used them to build roads through the mountains between Bisbee
and Tombstone
in 1913. Convicts also built a bridge over the San Pedro River
and improved the Douglas Highway. There is a concrete monument there commemorating the completion of the road.
The prison was designed in a mission-revival style architecture.
FSP has an inmate capacity of 3,946 in 6 housing units, housed at level 2, 3 and 5 security levels. The ADC uses a score classification system to assess inmates appropriate custody and security level placement. The scores range from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest risk or need. FSP is the judicial site in Arizona for state executions since 1910. The death house is located beside Housing Unit 8. Lethal injection
and the gas chamber
are the sole methods of execution.
Central Unit was recently changed from a split 3/5 level to a sole maximum security unit.
Arizona Department of Corrections
The Arizona Department of Corrections is in charge of the incarceration of inmates in 10 prisons in the U.S. state of Arizona. As of April 2009, the ADC manages over 40,191 imprisoned inmates and over 7,216 inmates who have been paroled or that are statutorily released. ADC is also in involved in...
(ADC). The main FSP prison is located in Florence
Florence, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,054 people, 2,226 households, and 1,540 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,056.2 people per square mile . There were 3,216 housing units at an average density of 387.7 per square mile...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The Florence complex also includes the Picacho Unit in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Pinal County
Pinal County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.4% White*4.6% Black*5.6% Native American*1.7% Asian*0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*11.5% Other races*28.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and the Globe Unit in Globe
Globe, Arizona
Globe has an arid climate, characterized by hot summers and moderate to warm winters. Globe's arid climate is somewhat tempered by its elevation, however, leading to slightly cooler temperatures and slightly more precipitation than Phoenix or Yuma....
.
The Central Unit of ASPC-Florence has the state of Arizona’s death chamber.
In 1908 inmates finished building and opened the Arizona Prison at Florence. This new prison was to replace the territorial prison in Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
. The convicts lived in tents while constructing the prison. The new prison featured a death chamber. The chamber was scaffolding above the death row cells that had a trap door for hanging inmates which opened to a room below. In 1933 hanging was replaced with the gas chamber due to an incident during a hanging. Convicts from Florence were a cheap source of labor and the state used them to build roads through the mountains between Bisbee
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...
and Tombstone
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
in 1913. Convicts also built a bridge over the San Pedro River
San Pedro River (Arizona)
San Pedro River is a northward-flowing stream originating about ten miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona near Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. It is one of only two rivers which flow north from Mexico into the United States. The river flows north through Cochise County, Pima County, Graham County, and...
and improved the Douglas Highway. There is a concrete monument there commemorating the completion of the road.
The prison was designed in a mission-revival style architecture.
FSP has an inmate capacity of 3,946 in 6 housing units, housed at level 2, 3 and 5 security levels. The ADC uses a score classification system to assess inmates appropriate custody and security level placement. The scores range from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest risk or need. FSP is the judicial site in Arizona for state executions since 1910. The death house is located beside Housing Unit 8. Lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
and the gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
are the sole methods of execution.
Central Unit was recently changed from a split 3/5 level to a sole maximum security unit.
| ASPC Unit | Custody Level |
|---|---|
| Central Unit | 5 |
| East Unit | 2 |
| North Unit | 2 |
| South Unit | 3 |
| CB-Kasson | 5 |
| Picacho | 2 |
| Globe | 2 |
See also
- Ruby MurdersRuby MurdersThe Ruby Murders is the popular name for three separate incidents involving the deaths of six American citizens at or near the town of Ruby, Arizona. The first incident occurred in February 1920 when Mexican bandits, thought to be Villistas, robbed and killed the two owners of the Ruby Mercantile...
- List of U.S. state prisons
- List of Arizona state prisons
External links
- Arizona State Prison Complex - Florence - Arizona Department of CorrectionsArizona Department of CorrectionsThe Arizona Department of Corrections is in charge of the incarceration of inmates in 10 prisons in the U.S. state of Arizona. As of April 2009, the ADC manages over 40,191 imprisoned inmates and over 7,216 inmates who have been paroled or that are statutorily released. ADC is also in involved in...
- Arizona execution chamber
