Missouri State Penitentiary Insights

The video explores the history of the Missouri State Penitentiary, highlighting its construction, famous inmates, and significant events like riots and escape attempts. It discusses the prison's role as a tourist attraction and its industrial area, including the gas chamber used for executions. The video concludes with reflections on the prison's closure and its impact on those who worked or were incarcerated there.

What was the primary purpose of the Missouri State Penitentiary when it was built?

• To reform inmates

• To serve as a tourist attraction

• To punish criminals

• To provide education

Which famous boxer was an inmate at the Missouri State Penitentiary?

• George Foreman

• Muhammad Ali

• Sonny Liston

• Joe Frazier

What event in 1954 highlighted the harsh conditions of the prison?

• A riot involving 2,500 inmates

• A major fire

• A celebrity visit

• A mass escape

How did James Earl Ray famously escape from the prison?

• By digging a tunnel

• By hiding in a breadbox

• By disguising as a guard

• By climbing the walls

In which decade were prisons like the Missouri State Penitentiary considered tourist attractions?

• 1950s

• 1910s

• 1920s

• 1940s

What was the purpose of the green and white building in the industrial area of the prison?

• A library

• A supermax facility

• A recreational center

• A dining hall

How many executions were carried out in the gas chamber?

• 20

• 40

• 30

• 50

What was unique about the door of the gas chamber?

• It was made of wood

• It was transparent

• It was from a World War I submarine

• It was bulletproof

What emotion does Mark Shriver express about the closure of the prison?

• Mixed emotions

• Indifference

• Joy

• Anger

What does the closure of the Missouri State Penitentiary symbolize?

• The end of an era

• A new beginning for tourism

• A decline in crime

• An increase in prison population