A Visit to the Clinker
By Trish
16 Jun 2008
My excursion started with a few hours of FREEDOM to spend time with a friend; to go where I please without inhibition; to appreciate the warmth of the sun; and to capture the wonders of our world. Ironically, the State Pen sits adjacent to the Idaho Botanical Garden. As such, the day began full of beauty and promise..... and ended with a heaviness of heart and new appreciation.
Over its century of operation, the penitentiary received more than 13,000 convicts, of whom 215 were women. Spurred in part by conditions that sparked a general riot in 1971 and an even more severe riot in 1973, the inmate population was moved to a modern penitentiary south of Boise and the Old Idaho Penitentiary was closed on December 3, 1973.
Now closed, the old pen represents a snapshot in time. Witnessing the cramped quarters, hard cold surfaces, and desperate attempts at comfort left thoughts of "humanity" forefront in my mind. Albert Schwitzer wisely stated that the fundamental rights of humanity are, first: the right of habitation; second, the right to move freely; third, the right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it; fourth, the right of freedom of labor and of exchange; fifth, the right to justice; sixth, the right to live within a natural national organization; and seventh, the right to education.
My hope for humanity is that we never forget the cost of freedom; that we remember to respect one another; that we find value in the gifts that we have; that we love; that we give; that we find compassion; that we learn from our mistakes; and most importantly that we find joy in teaching our children.
