Discovering The Smallest Jail in The U.S with Only 4 Prisoners

Tarah Nguyen January 15, 2024 | 17:47

Smaller things are automatically cuter, whether they are animals, food, or even - jail cells? Colorado, believe it or not, is home to the tiniest jail in America, which, while not intimidating, yet delivers a punch in terms of Colorado history.

Haswell, located in Kiowa County, has a population of approximately 70 people (as of the 2010 Census).

If you find yourself serving hard time in the big house, make sure you don't wind up in the smallest jail in America. You'll find it in Haswell, Colorado.

Where this jail is concerned, you may find yourself hoping to spend your time in solitary confinement. It's highly unlikely you could fit two people in this structure

Discovering The Smallest Jail in The U.S with Only 4 Prisoners

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Haswell, which was founded along the Missouri Pacific Railroad for housing purposes, formerly had everything from a thriving agriculture sector to stores and shops to even...

Haswell, Colorado, population 71, welcomes you.Haswell was founded in 1905, or maybe 1908, depending on your source, and is located in Kiowa County, Colorado.As you go from Eads to Ordway, Highway 96 will take you straight through the heart of town. Don't flinch; the entire town is merely 514 acres in size.

Haswell is thought to have the smallest jail in the United States of America, according to Wikipedia. It is a massive 12 feet by 14 feet in size. It may or may not have a bench in front depending on when you arrive.

Wikimedia Commons / Jeffrey Beall

The Prison's History Roadside in Haswell, Colorado

What is the Smallest Jail in the U.S with 4 Prisoners

From famed Western outlaws to rowdy drunken miners, the offenders who ended up behind bars in Colorado jails during the 1800s and early 1900s were a very different bunch from those imprisoned today. If the walls in these historic buildings could talk, they would have a plethora of interesting and scandalous things to share.

Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM

According to America, the Haswell Jail was established in 1921 and was in service until the 1940s. It has a maximum capacity of four prisoners at any given moment. The jail gives a total of 168 square feet at 12' X 4', presuming they are the measurements of the interior rather than the exterior. This equates to a comfortable 42 square feet per passenger.

Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM

Though it closed in the 1940s, the Haswell Jail remains the smallest in America, surpassing even the more legendary Randsburg Jail (which was previously supposed to be the smallest).

The Haswell Jail in Kiowa County is known as the smallest jail in the United States. When thieves and misbehaving residents weren't being held, the jail doubled as an impromptu poker room for the men of town, where they would congregate when they needed to get out of the house. The Haswell Jail was decommissioned in the 1940s, but the original structure still stands on the south side of 3rd Street; those passing through the little town are encouraged to stop and look it over.

Is This Really America's Smallest Jail?

That is up for debate. First and foremost, it is no longer a functional jail. As a result, the answer is "no." According to Roadside America, the jail's claim to be the "Nation's Smallest Jail" is dubious.

Haswell is thought to have the tiniest jail in the United States.[11] Its outside dimensions are approximately 12 by 14 feet (3.7 by 4.3 m), making it several feet smaller in each dimension than Randsburg, California's jail.

The Paul Plishner Radio Astronomy and Space Sciences Center is located in a rural, radio-quiet environment 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Haswell. A 60-foot (18-meter) parabolic dish antenna used for radio astronomy research is housed in the center.

Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM

The Haswell Jail is located on the south side of 3rd Street in Haswell (a half-block west of Main Street).

Flickr/Jay Gannett

How to Travel to Haswell's Jail?

Haswell is about 130 miles east of Colorado Springs and 65 miles shy of the Colorado/Kansas state boundary. Make your way to Haswell's 3rd Street, which is located between Sharp Avenue and Main Street. It'll be on the south side of the road.