The Lancaster County Prison is a county prison located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is located on East King Street in Lancaster City.
A county prison was originally built in 1737. The present medieval-style building replaced the earlier prisons in 1851, with Fulton Hall, of the Fulton Opera House being built on the site of the earlier prison. The prison is still in active use.
With over 5000 admissions each year (and a similar number of discharges), Lancaster County Prison currently has beds for over 950 inmates, but has the capacity to accommodate more if needed.
The majority of those currently detained are imprisoned pending trial, the remaining 40% having already been sentenced. Sentenced inmates are charged $10 per day for their incarceration, under the Lancaster County Prison "prisoner cost recovery program", in operation since 1995.
It was used for public hangings until 1912.
Famous quotes containing the words county and/or prison:
“It would astonish if not amuse, the older citizens of your County who twelve years ago knew me a stranger, friendless, uneducated, penniless boy, working on a flat boat—at ten dollars per month to learn that I have been put down here as the candidate of pride, wealth, and aristocratic family distinction.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“Whensoever any affliction assails me, me thinks I have the keyes of my prison in mine owne hand, and no remedy presents it selfe so soone to my heart, as mine own sword. Often meditation of this hath wonne me to a charitable interpretation of their action, who dy so: and provoked me a little to watch and exagitate their reasons, which pronounce so peremptory judgements upon them.”
—John Donne (c. 1572–1631)