Joliet Jake Rides Again

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You’ve seen one prison, you’ve seen ‘em all, right? Well, not exactly. This particular prison is the old Joliet penitentiary, where part of The Blues Brothers was filmed. With my love of the movie I had to make a stop there. Sorry, JJ. The prison, like every other one I’ve toured, is quite run down. There’s a section of buildings near the tour entrance (upper left, the one that Jake Blues famously walked out of at the beginning of the movie) known as “the burnt district,” because three separate arson fires between 2013 and 2017 heavily damaged the buildings. They have not been repaired, despite the fact that this is now a tourist site. That’s part of the history of the prison, I suppose. In the upper right you can see one of the “solitary” cells. It’s in infinitely better shape than most of the cells, which have paint that has peeled so badly it’s curled as it dangles from the walls. Also in the photos are one of the corner walls, with a guard tower, and the chapel, which is inscribed with a paraphrase of Ezekiel 18:31: “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit.” Baby Face Nelson and Leopold and Loeb were prisoners at Joliet at one time; however, the best-known inmate is a fictional one. And don’t think for a second that they don’t know that a lot of people are there because of The Blues Brothers connection. That’s why I went!! PHOTO COLLAGE: (Top left) East gate, where Jake emerged after being released at the beginning of The Blues Brothers (Top right) A solitary confinement cell (Bottom left) A corner guard tower in the wall (Bottom right) The prison chapel