Jim Blodgett photographs of Washington State Penitentiary collection, 1930-1984

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Blodgett, James
Title
Jim Blodgett photographs of Washington State Penitentiary collection
Dates
1930-1984 (inclusive)
Quantity
.5 linear feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
WCMss.741
Summary
The Jim Blodgett photographs of Washington State Penitentiary collection contains photographic prints and negatives from the years 1930 to 1984. Images depict corrections employees, various locations within the penitentiary, events, and incarcerated individuals. The collection may be of particular use to those interested in the period from 1977 to 1981, including uprisings, administrative changes, and reforms.
Repository
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

James (Jim) Blodgett was warden at Washington State Penitentiary from 1988 to 1992. The creator of the materials is not known.

The years 1977 to 1981 were a tumultuous time at the Washington State Penitentiary. After a period of liberal reforms, Jim Spalding took over as superintendent of the prison in 1978. Major changes were implemented by Spalding, such as the restructuring and remodeling of the prison designed to exert more control over inmates' movements, relocating inmates Spalding and others identified as a barrier to establishing order, rescinding the ability for those incarcerated at the prison to take furloughs, and removal of greenspace (Lifer's Park, People's Park) within the prison walls.

In May of 1979, a hostage situation and ensuing police response led to a riot. In June of 1979, a corrections officer was murdered, leading to a months-long lockdown and a wave of shakedowns meant to limit personal property in the prison cells. Tons of personal property was indiscriminately loaded onto garbage trunks. In another riot in July of 1979, corrections officers reportedly beat inmates severely, and many people were forced to stay for weeks in the "Big Yard." Mounting tensions between Spalding and the corrections officers led to a strike in August, but Spalding fired every striking worker. In 1982, a landmark court case, Hoptowit v. Ray, found that conditions at the prison violated the rights of people incarcerated there.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains photographic prints and negatives from the years 1930 to 1984. Images depict corrections employees, including superintendents Robert (B.J.) Rhay (superintendent from 1957 to 1977) and James Spalding (superintendent from 1978 to 1981), as well as guards, supervisors, and chaplains. Locations shown in the collection include the penitentiary farm and institutional industries (sign shop, upholstery shop), among others. Events portrayed include institutional remodeling, visits from the American Correctional Association, a farewell for superintendent Rhay, meetings of the Officer-Resident Communication Group and the Seven Arts Club, graduations, shakedowns, and a parade (possibly in Lind, Washington).

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The collection arrived at the Whitman College and Northwest Archives in two separate donations. The first was donated by James Payne, representing the Fort Walla Walla Museum, after Jim Blodgett donated the materials there. Accession number associated with this donation is 2022-026. The second was donated by Jim Blodgett, accession number 2024-018.

Processing Note

Materials were rehoused from acidic to non-acidic folders, and contact sheets were placed within plastic sleeves. 35mm negatives were already housed in plastic sleeves, with brief descriptions of the materials, and were not rehoused. Contact sheets and negative sets in folders 1 and 2 can be matched by number.

Related Materials

The Washington State Penitentiary records (WCMss.057) and the Robert A. Freeman papers (WCMss.381) may provide additional information to researchers interested in this time period at the prison.

Bibliography

Murray, Christopher. (2016). Unusual punishment: Inside the Walla Walla Prison, 1970-1985. Washington State University Press.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Correctional personnel
  • Prisoners
  • Prisons--Washington (State)

Corporate Names

  • Washington State Penitentiary