The city of Los Angeles, founded 285 years ago, has had a key institution in the administration of justice since its beginnings: the public prison, which has housed different criminals.
Over time, this site has been in various locations, witnessing urban evolution and the historical events that have marked the commune.
In its early days, Los Angeles, then a town in the process of consolidation, had no formally established prisons. The first detention facilities were located in the military forts that protected the town, where soldiers acted as guards.
One of the most famous prisoners of that period was Orielé Antoine de Tounens, a French adventurer who proclaimed himself King of Araucanía in 1860. Arrested in Nacimiento in 1861, he was taken to Los Angeles, where he fell ill and was eventually declared insane, avoiding prison and being expelled to France.
The transfer to the center: the prison in front of the Plaza de Armas
Towards the end of the 19th century, there is mention for the first time of a building dedicated exclusively to the detention of suspects and convicts. This building was located in front of the main square, on the corner of Lautaro and Valdivia streets, where the Municipal Cultural Centre currently stands, which was previously the Men’s Lyceum.
However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the city decided to move the prison to another point further from the center, as explained by the “Community of Los Angeles, history and identity.
Changes in the 20th century: from the railway to Ricardo Vicuña
The new location chosen was 21 de Mayo Avenue, opposite the now defunct railway station, where a supermarket and an educational institute are currently located.
However, the 1939 earthquake caused significant damage, forcing a new move. The chosen location was the western end of Ricardo Vicuña Avenue, on land that was almost peripheral at the time.
Despite the improvements, the 1960 earthquake also left the prison in poor condition, leading to the construction of a new facility.
Ricardo Vicuña Avenue
Vicuña Mackenna: the last destination of the prison
In 1969, the Los Angeles Preventive Detention Center (CDP) was opened on Vicuña Mackenna Avenue, outside the city walls.
The facility operated for several decades until the devastating earthquake of February 27, 2010 caused irreparable damage, forcing the transfer of inmates to other prisons in the region. Since then, the city has been without its own prison, and attempts to build a new facility have faced resistance from local communities.
The history of the Los Angeles Jail not only reflects the urban and architectural changes of the city, but also how seismic events have marked the fate of this important public building, whose need persists to this day.
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