The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is United States Disciplinary Barracks by local author Peter J. Grande. The book contains more than 200 vintage images that give a glimpse into the history that took place behind the walls.
On May 21, 1874, Congress approved the establishment of the United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB), formerly the United States Military Prison at Fort Leavenworth. The original prison was once a quartermaster depot, supplying all military posts, camps and stations in the Indian Territory to the West. It has been the "center of correctional excellence" in the military for over 130 years, housing the most notorious service members in the armed forces, including maximum-custody inmates and those with death sentences.
On October 5, 2002, retreat was played for the last time in front of the eight-story castle inside the old USDB, and another era started with the occupation of a new modern correctional facility.
The author hopes the book will “fulfill a void for so many military service members, military retirees, civilian corrections professionals and historians who have heard of the myths and folklore of the USDB, but did not have access to the pictures.”
Highlights of United States Disciplinary Barracks:
• This is the first pictorial history of the USDB written by a USDB staff member.
• Over the years, thousands of soldiers sentenced to confinement have successfully completed the USDB’s Return to Duty Program and soldiered their way to honorable discharges.
• The proceeds from the book will be donated to the Military Police Regimental Association for the Military Police Memorial Grove.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
