Fact Check: "The Leavenworth federal penitentiary has been operating since 1903."
What We Know
The United States Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, was established following a special act of Congress in 1897, which transferred land from the War Department to the Justice Department for the construction of the facility. The first prisoners were incarcerated in 1903, marking the official start of operations for the penitentiary (source-1). The facility was designed to house federal inmates and was the largest maximum-security prison in the United States until it was downgraded to medium security in 2005 (source-3).
Analysis
The claim that the Leavenworth federal penitentiary has been operating since 1903 is supported by multiple credible sources. The official website of the City of Leavenworth states that the first prisoners were indeed incarcerated in 1903, confirming the operational start date of the penitentiary (source-1). Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Prisons provides information that aligns with this timeline, noting that the penitentiary was the largest maximum-security prison in the U.S. from its opening until its status changed in 2005 (source-2).
The Wikipedia entry for the Federal Correctional Institution, Leavenworth, also corroborates this information, detailing the history and operational changes of the facility, including its establishment in 1903 (source-3).
The sources used in this analysis are reliable, as they come from official government entities and well-established historical records. The information is consistent across these sources, indicating a strong consensus on the operational history of the penitentiary.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that the Leavenworth federal penitentiary has been operating since 1903 is accurate. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that the facility began its operations that year, making the claim verifiable and factual.
