Historic women’s prison site welcomes community for clean-up, reimagination of the area

The Vision for the Prison event will invite community members beyond the fence of the historic women’s prison site to take part in clean-up efforts and see plans for the area.

In an agreement with the state last year, the City of Indianapolis took control of the site that housed Indiana’s first women’s prison. The 15-acre property on the city’s east side has sat fenced off and mostly neglected since 2017.

Through partnership between organizations including the Willard Park Neighborhood Association and the Near East Side Community Organization, the days’ events will kick off with an on-site clean up.

Joey Newsom lives near the site and has been active in local efforts and redevelopment plans. He said that the site transfer to city control has resulted in lots of new progress, as the city is much more engaged than the state had been.

“Last year, this site was horrendous,” Newsom said. “There was just trash everywhere, overgrowth on the sides of the prison, and people were breaking in. It was horrible. We would call the state, and every once in a while, we got a response.”

The state tore down some of the prison buildings in 2022. Other historic buildings still remain and may be able to be preserved. 

During the Saturday clean-up, the area will be open for a variety of activities, including interactive tours, pop-up shops, music and food. A blacktop and poles, left from the prison courtyard, will give space for a volleyball net and basketball.

The event will also honor the history of the space with featured speaker Elizabeth Nelson, co-author of the book “Who Would Believe a Prisoner.” Nelson has been a consultant for the Indiana Women’s Prison History Project since 2018, which involves the studies of gender, sexuality, and incarceration in Indiana.

Joey Newsom said people who attend will be able to view potential renderings and timelines for development on site.

“The idea is that we're not just like, ‘Hey, get involved,’ but it's also, ‘Hey, let's support what's happening, let's support the engagement. Let's support the city and just what they're doing with the community process.’”

The days’ events at the historic prison site, located on N. Randolph St., on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact Reporting Intern Erika Kovach at ekovach@wfyi.org.