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Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Pestp ()
Date: May 15, 2011 08:52PM

does anyone know how big Lorton Jail was. Is it true south country SS school was part of the jail? I knew it was part of DC Jail but I never knew how big it was? If everyone lived here when it was open tell us how big it was?

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: bobw6820 ()
Date: May 15, 2011 09:29PM

Lorton prison was over 1000 acres along the ocoquan river. It was run by D.C. dept of corrections. At one time it was self sufficiant they farmed veggies and had livestock. all the food for the prison was grown and slaughtered right there.The ACLU screwed that up.At the end it was a very poorly run prison, always in the news. The inmates were shipped off to prisons as far away as Texas most of them went to other prisons in Va. and Ohio, Light and med security went to the d.c. jail.And yes South County SS is on prison property, most of the new housing developments are also on old prison property, so is the golf course.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Mildred ()
Date: May 15, 2011 09:48PM

Circa 1986, very expensive, large housing communities began to be developed about two miles from the prison. The builders lobbied to have the future neighborhoods of Triple Ridge and South Run to have a Fairfax Station mailing address, even though these houses were smack dab in Lorton. The builders did not want the prison stigma to be at all associated with the developments.

New residents became accustomed to police helicopters flying over to track escaped prisoners and we all had the Lorton Penitentiary Hotline posted by our phones to learn of prison breaks...there were updated recordings with the convict/s description, etc.

Soon we learned to relax because the inmates would invariably be caught hitching a ride near the 95 exit or would be caught back in DC. No way were these inmates going into the suburbs.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: snowdenscold ()
Date: May 16, 2011 12:19AM

When was the actual year it was decided the lease wouldn't be renewed and the prison would definitely be shutting down? I'm curious which neighborhoods were built "knowing" it would be gone vs. "hoping" it would soon be gone.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: ford ()
Date: May 16, 2011 08:26AM

Ask Gerry Connally

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: LortonGuy ()
Date: May 16, 2011 08:36AM

And now some genius in FFX CO Government had decided that 20 foot prison walls and turrets are "historic" and worthly of historic preservation so they cannot be altered. Are you kidding me? Just because something is "Old" doesn't mean it's historic and worthly of preservation. It's a prision for crying out loud. It's an eye sore and should be torn down.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Shadow ()
Date: May 16, 2011 11:34AM

South County school is a completely new building. The area was a part of the prison, but not the building.

And I still think South County is a stupid name. It isn't in South County, it's in Fairfax County. Maybe we should build a North County school and an East and West County school too.

Sorry, end of rant.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Blegh ()
Date: April 20, 2014 12:14PM

Anything new going on with the prison now that the county has it?

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: True The Vote ! ()
Date: April 20, 2014 12:35PM

It should be restored, open for business, and be self sufficiant again, What a success story this could be.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: just my opinion1 ()
Date: April 20, 2014 01:21PM

or just let it sell for real estate development

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: FDA producer ()
Date: April 20, 2014 06:44PM

I'm actually working on a TV special about this very topic. the original property actually stretched from silver Brook all the way to 123 near the water treatment facility. The property is being used for a variety of facilities ranging from art studios, athletic fields, a senior living facility, a high school, a ball golf course and an amazing disc golf course.

If you want to see the old jail facility its still standing and you can get to it on Lorton Road and take a right at the sign that says Giles Run Laurel Hill. if you like mountain biking there's also 50 miles of really nice biking trails.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: LouderthanHell ()
Date: April 21, 2014 12:47AM

Exaggeration !
No way there are 50 miles of trails @ Laurel hill.
Yes, some nice trails, many miles of them, but not 50 !!

What TV station will have your show?

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: matt 703 ()
Date: April 21, 2014 10:11AM

Was so happy when they shut that nightmare down! Glad to see an end to VA allowing DC's criminals to be housed in our state. Made no sense in the first place. 100% black by the way. I went there on a field trip back in high school and we walked around. That place was a hell.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: prison_pond ()
Date: April 21, 2014 04:09PM

Graduated from West Springfield HS in 1993. We used to drive into the woods next to the prison. There is a large pond separating the prison and a open field. Spent many nights there drinking beers with high school buddies, listening to Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Memories...

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Hizzoner ()
Date: April 21, 2014 04:13PM

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When was the actual year it was decided the lease
> wouldn't be renewed and the prison would
> definitely be shutting down? I'm curious which
> neighborhoods were built "knowing" it would be
> gone vs. "hoping" it would soon be gone.


It was after 1995 when the control board took over DC's budget after asshats elected Barry back into office. The feds took over responsibility for housing silverback crimey's and dispersing them across the nation. Then the facility was retroverted back to FFX county.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: That Guy ()
Date: April 22, 2014 09:42AM

Now called Laurel Hill, redevelopment of the penitentiary complex into housing and retail complexes will begin later this year. Low income housing units will comprise the majority of the housing on the site. History and development plans can be found here:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/laurelhill/history.htm

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: sundyas fun ()
Date: May 06, 2014 09:11AM

funnnn

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: historia ()
Date: May 06, 2014 12:34PM

Now called Laurel Hill, redevelopment of the penitentiary complex into housing and retail complexes will begin later this year. Low income housing units will comprise the majority of the housing on the site. History and development plans can be found here:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/laurelhill/history.htm

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Savannah a ()
Date: December 26, 2016 07:04PM

I took some pictures today
Attachments:
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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: ...... ()
Date: December 26, 2016 07:11PM

Should be restored, and opened as a school for black youth. That way they are prepared for when they go to prison.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Dumfriesboy ()
Date: December 26, 2016 07:41PM

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When was the actual year it was decided the lease
> wouldn't be renewed and the prison would
> definitely be shutting down? I'm curious which
> neighborhoods were built "knowing" it would be
> gone vs. "hoping" it would soon be gone.

About 1996. A gangster from DC named Rayful Edmonds was an inmate and actually increased his cocaine sales while inside. Congress got fed up with the corruption at Lorton Federal Reformatory. I lived on Mill St. in Occoquan during the 70s and 80s. There weren't many escapes contrary to rumor. No "hotlines" for sure. 99% of the escapees went straight back to DC. One case in 1983 the Dept of Corrections was waiting in his mom's house when he showed up.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: The Real Fairfax Conservative ()
Date: December 26, 2016 07:48PM

Corrupt Democrat DC officials dealt with corrupt Democrat Fairfax officials.

Man, I'm glad that Trump won so that we can clean up this shit from the top.

One day, we'll get to Fairfax County, and clean the shit out here, too.

I can't wait.

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Good Grief ()
Date: December 26, 2016 07:58PM

Holy Shit, can you make those pictures any bigger?

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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: better ()
Date: December 26, 2016 08:17PM


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Re: Old lorton Jail
Posted by: Arson Story ()
Date: December 26, 2016 08:22PM

What killed Lorton prison was the night the massive fire that gutted several buildings.

Fairfax County said that was enough.

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