Spring Creek Correctional Center
Encyclopedia
Spring Creek Correctional Center is an Alaska Department of Corrections
maximum security prison for men located in Seward, Alaska
, United States
. The prison is located approximately 125 miles (201.2 km) south of Anchorage
. The prison is located on about 328 acres (1.3 km²) of land surrounded by national park
s. The prison capacity consists of over 500 inmates and 200 staff workers. Built as a decentralized campus, the prison construction was completed in 1988 at a cost of $44,678,000. A large portion of the prisoner population consists of "hard core" felons who committed violent crimes, such as murder. The Alaska DOC says that these prisoners "will probably spend the rest of their life in prison." Spring Creek also houses prisoners who committed less serious crimes like assault and burglary and usually have sentences from three years to ten years.
In 2008, convicted murderer John Carlin III was beaten to death in Spring Creek. Carlin was the alleged co-conspirator in the case of Mechele Linehan
, a former stripper convicted in the death of her former fiance Kent Leppink.
, a notorious serial killer convicted of killing numerous women in or near Anchorage, Alaska
.
documentary
entitled Lockup: Spring Creek, Alaska. Numerous Spring Creek inmates were profiled, including Carl Abhul, John Bright, and Cordell Boyd among others.
Alaska Department of Corrections
The Department of Corrections of the state of Alaska is an agency of the state government responsible for corrections. The Department manages institutions, parole and probation. The current commissioner is Joe Schimdt...
maximum security prison for men located in Seward, Alaska
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The prison is located approximately 125 miles (201.2 km) south of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
. The prison is located on about 328 acres (1.3 km²) of land surrounded by national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s. The prison capacity consists of over 500 inmates and 200 staff workers. Built as a decentralized campus, the prison construction was completed in 1988 at a cost of $44,678,000. A large portion of the prisoner population consists of "hard core" felons who committed violent crimes, such as murder. The Alaska DOC says that these prisoners "will probably spend the rest of their life in prison." Spring Creek also houses prisoners who committed less serious crimes like assault and burglary and usually have sentences from three years to ten years.
Operational History
In the prison's history, there have been two murders inside the prison, one escape and at least one failed escape plot.Murders
In 2004, Spring Creek inmate Carl Abhul, already incarcerated for another murder, killed his cellmate Gregory Beaudoin. Abhul was convicted of Beaudoin's murder and sentenced to an additional 30 years in prison..In 2008, convicted murderer John Carlin III was beaten to death in Spring Creek. Carlin was the alleged co-conspirator in the case of Mechele Linehan
Mechele Linehan
Kent Leppink died by gunshot in 1996. His former fiancée, Mechele Linehan, was convicted of murdering him, but the judgment was reversed on appeal. After originally being sentenced to 99 years in prison, Linehan is currently free on bail awaiting a new trial....
, a former stripper convicted in the death of her former fiance Kent Leppink.
Escapes and escape attempts
An escape involving two inmates from Spring Creek occurred in 1994. Both inmates were subsequently recaptured. A second, unrelated escape plot in 2001 was unsuccessful.Notable inmates
Spring Creek Correctional Center is the prison which houses Robert HansenRobert Hansen
Robert Christian Hansen is an American serial killer. Between 1980 and 1983, Hansen murdered between 17 and 21 women near Anchorage, Alaska.- Early life :Hansen was born in Estherville, Iowa to Christian and Edna Hansen...
, a notorious serial killer convicted of killing numerous women in or near Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
.
MSNBC Documentary
Spring Creek was profiled in an MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
entitled Lockup: Spring Creek, Alaska. Numerous Spring Creek inmates were profiled, including Carl Abhul, John Bright, and Cordell Boyd among others.
External links
See also
- List of Alaska state prisons
- Alaska Department of CorrectionsAlaska Department of CorrectionsThe Department of Corrections of the state of Alaska is an agency of the state government responsible for corrections. The Department manages institutions, parole and probation. The current commissioner is Joe Schimdt...
- Seward, AlaskaSeward, AlaskaSeward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....