At the Southern Michigan Prison near Jackson, Cell Block 7 housed thousands of inmates beginning in the 1930s. Prisoners had been convicted of crimes ranging from liquor law violations to murder. Soon, that same cell block will be transformed into a museum that tells Jackson’s story as perhaps Michigan’s best known correctional center, which at one time was the largest walled prison in the world.Organizers from Jackson’s Ella Sharp Museum are hoping for a late June opening of the “Cell Block 7” museum.
Current State speaks with Judy Horn, the museum's director of collections and exhibits, about the new project.