The Warden’s Son
By Jerry Clapp
FASCINATING TALES FROM GROWING UP AT THE OLD IDAHO PENITENTIARY.
When Jerry Clapp’s father became warden of the Idaho State Penitentiary in 1945, the young boy quickly learned the rules and boundaries of roaming one of the most dangerous grounds in the West.
Through his school years, Jerry would become the confidante to many a wild tale from friendly inmates—an old man serving life for multiple assassinations, a beautiful teenager in the women’s prison, and an incarcerated war hero who became a lifelong role model. These are the stories Jerry would tell his grandchildren—from chilling recollections of riots, escapes, and hangings to the profound remembrances of inmates, guards, and the warden.
This fascinating “family portrait” truly brings the Old Idaho Penitentiary roaring back to life.
For many years, Jerry Clapp told his children and grandchildren the stories of growing up at the Idaho State Penitentiary. Late in life, he was encouraged by his family to write down his remembrances.
The Warden’s Son is the true story of a boy who spent his childhood at the Idaho State Penitentiary. Arriving in 1945, young Jerry Clapp quickly learned the rules and boundaries as he roamed the prison grounds and cell houses, the confidante to many a wild tale from friendly inmates. While some were too dangerous to encounter, others became friends — an old man serving life for multiple assassinations, a beautiful teenager in the women’s prison, and an incarcerated war hero who became a lifelong role model.
These are the stories Jerry would tell his grandchildren — from chilling recollections of riots, escapes, and hangings to the profound remembrances of inmates, guards, and the warden.
