Ever since I moved to Sacramento and realized how close it was to Folsom, I’ve been thinking about Johnny Cash’s infamous song, “Folsom Prison Blues,” and its accompanying performance at the prison itself.
When I discovered that the prison was still operational and that there was also a museum on its premises, I have to admit I was both horrified and intrigued. While I’ve previously taken a ferry to Alcatraz, which has been run as a tourist attraction since 1972, I’ve never actually toured a prison – neither operational nor retired. The idea seems kind of like rubbernecking alongside a terrible car crash, to me. After all, people’s lives are ruined in prison. It’s not really the kind of thing you should be making light of. Even Johnny Cash, someone who only spent time in jail for public drunkenness and never did any hard time, is somebody that you might argue profited off of prisons in a way that is unseemly.
But before I go off on a prison reform rant, let’s get back to the original purpose of this post, which is letting you know about some local sights. I’ll let you make up your own minds about whether or not it’s appropriate to host a prison museum on the grounds of a currently operational state prison.
According to Wikipedia, Folsom State Prison is the state of California’s second-oldest prison (the oldest being San Quentin), and the first in the US to have electricity. It was one of the first maximum-security prisons in the country, but is currently a minimum-medium security facility with capacity for 2,066 inmates. The prison was opened in 1880, and 93 prisoners were hanged there between 1895 and 1937. (Executions are currently under a moratorium, thanks to Governor Newsom, but proceeded at San Quentin after 1937.)
If you’re curious about trivia, you’ll be interested to know that all of California’s license plates are made at Folsom. Prisoners also contribute labor to the prison’s various industries, which includes metal fabrication, a print shop (which also provides Braille products), furniture manufacturing, and once upon a time even harvested provided granite from the quarry that provided the foundation of the state capitol building.
As per this Roadside America report, the Folsom Prison Museum is run by volunteers who are former corrections officers. They seem to be a rather tight-lipped crew, if this account is any indication, so it may be difficult to get any information out of them if you do choose to visit.
All in all, Folsom seems like a place I’d rather avoid, but given the Cash connection, I’m sure there are plenty of folks who are eager to learn more about the prison, and I think the museum serves that purpose.
Exploring Sacramento 