Lockup: Indiana State Prison

Indiana State Prison was built during the Civil War to house prisoners of war. Today, three out of four inmates are in for murder, making it is one of the most dangerous prisons in the country.

Documentary producer Hillary Heath took a camera crew inside this "city behind walls" to find out about life on death row, the high level of security needed to protect chaplains from prisoners and to talk to the tough officers that risk their lives keeping order amongst some of the country's most violent criminals.

The Doc Block staff asked documentary producer Hillary Heath via e-mail about filming “LOCKUP: Indiana State."

Doc Block: Indiana State Prison, ISP, is the oldest maximum security facility in Indiana.  What was your first impression of it?

Hillary Heath, LOCKUP producer: The first thing I noticed was the massive wall fortressing the entire prison.  You can’t see in, and there is no way the inmates can see out.  ISP is truly its own city behind walls.

I was also overwhelmed by the various security checkpoints and procedures required to enter the prison. We always carry a lot of gear: camera, lights, cables, batteries, sound equipment, loads of tapes and paperwork.  Every time we entered the prison, our bags were x-rayed, hand-checked and each one of us was frisked. After the first checkpoint, there are five or six more gates.  Only one gate is opened at a time and all eyes were on us as we entered or exited.  It has a highly complex maze of bars, locks and protocol.

Doc Block: Did your impression change over time as you shot your documentary?

Heath: Well, there is clearly a reason for all this security. Indiana’s most dangerous inmates are housed at ISP, many of them for taking the life of another person.  The majority of these guys are also serving lengthy sentences and some will die there, so security is critical. I have to say, I never got used to all the security and the high walls and was always thankful to go back to the hotel at the end of the day.

Doc Block: Since the administration is dealing with such a violent population, what systems are in place to keep the place safe?

Heath: Although ISP is a very old prison, it is also highly functional. Most noticeable are all the low-tech security devices still in place. There are very few automatic locks, and an old lock and key system for most gates.  So you’ll see officers carrying giant rings with dozens of antiquated keys.  I still don’t understand how they keep track.

Another fascinating device is the giant roll bar, designed to secure an entire 25-30 cell tier at one time. The nightly "rolling of the bar" is a highly coordinated event, beginning with a call-in, a bed check and the final securing of the bar itself.

I did see an extremely high-tech system used to secure inmates in several of the segregated units: Death Row and I-Detention Unit (IDU).  Each cell door is equipped with a sensor, and all locks are controlled from one main control panel. Whenever a cell door is opened, cameras monitor the inmate’s every move. There is even a sensor on each toilet to indicate when an inmate may be trying to flood his own cell. In any of the Seg Units, flooding is one way to get attention. If needed, the entire water system can be turned off with the push of a button. 

Doc Block: What about the policies for handling violent offenders?

Heath: At ISP, there appears to be a real zero-tolerance policy for inmates who break the rules.  If you are caught committing a violent act, you wind up in IDU, period.  IDU is literally the prison within a prison. Any time spent in IDU is no fun.  It’s loud, the cells are small, there is minimal recreation time, and almost no contact with other inmates. Most privileges are revoked.

Doc Block: Was it unnerving to see that the volunteer chaplain, who routinely visits offenders in Administrative Segregation (AdSeg), wears a protective vest at all times?

Heath: AdSeg is where some of the most dangerous prisoners are housed. Unlike other Seg Units I have been to at other facilities, there are no solid doors, only the old-fashioned bars. In AdSeg, stabbings are a reality, so protective stab vests are required by all visitors.

On our first visit to Adseg, I immediately noticed a very slight, elderly man wearing a stab vest on one of the upper tiers. As we approached him, I also noticed he was wearing a priest’s collar. As a retired Catholic priest, he is one of ISP’s volunteer chaplains and devotes several hours a week to the men in Adseg. As he walked along the tier, he greeted each and every inmate, stopping to talk to some and occasionally reaching out a hand in prayer. From a massive book bag, the chaplain presented complimentary greeting cards, magazines and books, and he always seemed to provide a parting joke.

The men in AdSeg are not only isolated from the general prison population, many are cut off from their families.  Regardless of the inmates’ crimes or religious beliefs, the chaplain showed an enormous amount of compassion for these men. In his interview, he repeatedly stressed the importance of reaching out to these inmates.

Doc Block: In stories and movies, child molesters are portrayed as the bottom of the heap in prison and are potential targets. Give us a reality check.

Heath: Prison can be a very violent place for anyone. While plenty of offenders do manage to keep a low profile, it became clear that many young and recently arrived inmates target child molesters as a way of making a name for themselves inside prison. In particular, several of the self-proclaimed white supremacists I spoke with told me they believed child molestation should be punishable by death. One landed in AdSeg for attacking another inmate convicted of child molestation.

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