The "rotary jail" had a slight problem

In Crawfordsville, Indiana, there's a rotary jail: an invention that, with hindsight, should probably never have been built. But it was, here and in other towns across the United States. It might have sounded like a good idea on paper, but in practice, it had a few unfortunate problems... including occasional accidental amputations.
More about the Rotary Jail Museum: www.rotaryjailmuseum.org/
Edited by Michelle Martin, @mrsmmartin
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[@TomScottGo]

I did consider getting someone to animate the limb-mangling parts, but I thought it'd be better left to the imagination.

[@Oliver-pi4wd]

Tom Scott you are amazing tom

[@Oliver-pi4wd]

ethan james owens yep

[@JamesRadley]

A week ago! :P

[@Oliver-pi4wd]

How

[@v0ltgaming344]

You had this on private for a week ?!

[@rachelle10]

A friend of mine once said: "If there's no software that does what you want, then it's either time to create it, or time to realize it's a terrible idea"

[@Dextrome]

That doesn't make a lot of sense

[@FTfilm]

@@Dextrome It does. Just because you dont get it doenst mean it makes no sense ;)

[@cursedjade9585]

@@FTfilm I have the think that idea is the the idea the of time of day have the good

[@unovi8141]

@@cursedjade9585 Such poetry

[@EZX280]

@@cursedjade9585 r/ihadastroke

[@markkulyas2418]

I wonder if all the guards ever got together and seen how fast they could spin it just for fun.

[@HaydenX]

"...Oh for cc...cryin' out...lo..louud. Yeh put me...inere fer bein...dr...drunk. Th...thfuckin room's sp...spin...spinninin nuff as it...is"

[@genli5603]

Obviously. They were men...

[@lucasc5622]

Gen Li they were men? what is that supposed to mean?

[@kerbo2383]

like a nightmare merry-go-round

[@EmilePoelman]

Wheeeeeee!!!!!

[@potatoeoverlord9430]

It's amazing how much thought was put into the mechanism and how little was put into the practicalities.

[@tonyredgrave1570]

When inexperienced geniuses take on projects. Like Tesla cars and their small button for a car horn, genius thinking! I’m not hating on Tesla motors, just their pathetic idea for car horn😂. Practicality isn’t a strong suit for many legit geniuses

[@BurntSushi.]

It has many flaws that probably could have been fixed if the creator hadn't been a fool when it comes to safety.

[@jaimezozobrado1142]

TLDR: The practicality of something cant be determined through thought experiments alone and need to be studied and seen in action. Practicalities can't be experienced unless implemented. Thoughts on practicality is not a reflection of practicality itself. Athletics methods for health, conditioning, exercise and training were thought to be practical during its time. After decades of study, it was concluded that certain aspects were not practical or some methods needed to be tweaked, which is why players now more often retire at or near 40 instead of their younger 30s.

[@lisamarieashby2523]

And in technology today, NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED.

[@BirdieBraniel]

It's called "getting funded"! How many back-slapping businesses were given contracts?

[@homestar92]

I visited this jail as a kid. A story that I remember the tour guide telling was of an inmate with a wooden limb who would, quite intentionally, stick it into the bars to jam up the machine and prevent it from turning.

[@beaneater6932]

thats one hell of a piece of wood

[@MustacheDLuffy]

He probably had a wooden limb because his arm got chopped off

[@runtergerutscht4401]

Judging by this machine's apparent power to break bones, I have my doubts about the truth of that story. I instead imagine it was told to not even get you thinking of what would happen to an arm jammed in there because if it can't break wood, it's all of a sudden nuch more harmless in our minds.

[@TheCbjunkie]

Wood from a diamond tree? I don't know if you know anything about physics or force, but a wooden limb is not stopping that door for a second.

[@santivsj]

@@TheCbjunkie it can stop it, or at least slow it and force the guards to make far more effort. It just can't in the way you're thinking of it. I guess the inmate would not be that stupid as to extend their wooden limb at the bars' reach, but rather it would be more efficient to stuck it in the gap between the central rotating platform (the cells) and the bars. The friction would certainly make it a lot more difficult to rotate the cells, considering the limb had to be of the necessary measurements to do that, which is not something crazy, actually.

[@justinwalker5274]

Public intoxication? That'll cost you an arm and a leg

[@NunnieDoesMinecraft]

Justin Walker wehayyyyy 😂😂😂

[@macskasbogre133]

Nothing to lose your head over though.

[@BonusGoddamnDucks]

BA DUM TSS

[@marcussheen]

In the UK, we often call drunk people legless.

[@charliespinoza1966]

Justin Walker +

[@prosfilaes]

The patent office I went to used the deer hunting mask as an example of the impractical patent. Yes, you could wear a pair of antlers to make yourself look like a deer to the other deer; you unfortunately also look like a deer to the other hunters.

[@JonatasAdoM]

HAHAHAHA

[@TheSkypetube]

Go one step further and dress as a female deer to lure horny deers

[@stanleyhape8427]

Hey if a bunch of bubbas wanna wear antlers and no orange , i say good for them. Nothing wrong with thinning the hurd.

[@DuelJ007]

Darwin would be proud?

[@pupplementarypupplements5804]

yea and beware wearing it during mating season, I learned the hard way

[@conradalexander3939]

What’s hilarious to me is that 95 years before this was patented, Jeremy Bentham had already designed the panopticon - the inverse of this idea. It places a single guard in the centre of a circular (and stationery) prison, with all cell doors facing inwards. This tells me that we’d rather build a prison that spins than have one bloke turn around a few times a minute.

[@erisgro3945]

the magnus archives...

[@lilou7751]

the panoptican prison was more about behaviour control though. the inmates couldn't see where the guard was looking and were therefore always supposed to behave as if they were being watched.

[@nealbrook4226]

@@lilou7751 I would also think it would be harder to escape if the one exit is to the middle of the building.

[@subduedreader5627]

@@erisgro3945 Control (the video game) has one for its artifacts.

[@ELYELYELroy]

you read discipline and punishment by foucault didnt you

[@martingeldart386]

Criminals went to jail as a threat to society but came out armless.

[@seanganderton6237]

Some criminals needs this.

[@a-bird-lover]

@@seanganderton6237 you don't seem like a very nice person to be around

[@scofield321]

Besser arm dran als arm ab.

[@JamesSmith-xk1fb]

Crazy word “criminal” some countries you are and others you aren’t but they all fall under the same banner of being the worst.

[@No-san]

@@myfencebroke805 i did

[@gentrydean3789]

All the amputations and other problems aside, I am really surprised that the bars weren't the part that rotated. Imagine having your entire cell move around - probably without warning.

[@Random3716]

Imagine that happening without warning while intoxicated/hungover.

[@misterfaust3378]

@@Random3716 Naughty prisoners get centrifuged

[@stellathefoxgirl3648]

That made me laugh more that it should’ve

[@GeneralCane]

You just know people fell on their asses a lot in there.

[@matthew8153]

More moving parts over a greater area.

[@HuskyBlueFire]

Holy smokes imagine having a bad night out and waking up wedged in a giant rotating jail mechanism.

[@assaqwwq]

a bad life*

[@joecarter2969]

with an arm, disconnected, next to you... but not your arm

[@LeonVonDai]

Sounds like a Monty Python skit.

[@flow5718]

Bet it would be hellamazing.. trip on some acid too..

[@PsychoSoldier01]

It would be hellamazing to... be crushed to death by a giant metal mechanism?

[@chihuahuainacone]

I just realized this was the inspiration for the rotating prison tower in Silent Hill 4! I had no idea it was based on an actual building. That is so interesting and cool.

[@mackychloe]

I got Natural Born Killer vibes when i saw the jail structure, although it's not really the same.

[@danbull]

brings a new meaning to "the turn of the screw"

[@Tshepo__]

Indeed

[@antimatterg]

HOLY CREEPER MINECRAFT'S GRIM REAPER ITS DAN BULL

[@aniboo8668]

omg dan bull!!1

[@anononomous]

I bet someone said "Why don't you just make the bars rotate?" within a week of them finishing building it.

[@PrimusProductions]

Amputations are still an issue but it would take less energy to open a particular cell.

[@Rackergen]

But you would have to build a catwalk.

[@640kareenough6]

And then his head was amputated

[@renakunisaki]

And then someone else asked "why not just lock the cell doors?"

[@Benedocta]

@@PrimusProductions The mass of the part thats rotating is much smaller, so less inertia, so amputations might be avoided.

[@chegadesuade]

The idea of being stuck in a constantly spinning room is horrifying, what would that do to your sense of balance?

[@KevinWta]

It's not continuously spinning. It spins only when someone is being put in or taken out of a cell.

[@LoudWaffle]

@@KevinWta The whole point is so the guard can keep an eye on every prisoner while not moving around. So while probably not CONSTANTLY spinning, it would spin quite a lot.

[@KevinWta]

@@LoudWaffle No it's operated by a hand crank you can't have somebody turning the hand crank the whole time the guards are watching. 0:58 " the advantage of having a rotational cell block was that you could have just the one opening the inmates could enter and exit their cells from in front of a pie shape cell block. 1:08 "so if you only had one door to watch then you wouldn't have to pay as many guards to be here to watch the inmates."

[@ObstagoonGuy]

@@LoudWaffle The whole point is to need less guards and reduce the risk of a breakout. They would not spin it to keep an eye on the inmates. In that case walking around would probably be easier since the clip suggests that it's quite an effort to turn the cell.

[@NaturalBornLoserrrr]

@@LoudWaffle That is not the whole point. The whole point is that the guards only had to watch one DOOR. They definitely weren't just spinning this around to look

[@paulverse4587]

The idea is in a way the same as a Panopticon, just using the exact opposite approach. (A Panopticon is a rounded prison, where all cells face the station in the middle, from which a single guard can see everyone at the same time. So instead of putting the cells in the middle, you put the guard in the middle)

[@hailey51422]

magnus archives

[@pastaman68]

i never thought of it but that's a good comparison!

[@KestrelHarper]

I literally never gave a moment's thought to the possibility of fire in a prison before I heard the words, "The advantage of having a rotational cellblock was that you could have just the one opening the inmates could enter/exit their cells from."

[@cymond]

I'm surprised a fire would be a big problem in a building that's all steel, stone, and brick.

[@phineas81707]

Same thing.

[@kreinraan6558]

@@cymond It is enough to enlight the oil or some storage to poison the prisoners (depends on ventilation of course)

[@logemcdoge4620]

@@cymond even if its made of non flammable material you still are in danger of gas leaks, bombings, or possibly a natural disaster. There are many situations where you may want to open all the cells quickly and evacuate.

[@EpicVideoGamer7771]

@@cymond There is still the risk of explosions and toxic gas

[@VideoSage]

"The bars could have spun," was my immediate idea... It's just insane, to move the whole thing, with it's here plumbing and everything. What a bonkers idea.

[@mcfail3450]

I think the reasoning was because that way the opening is always in the same spot. If the bars rotate the opening is moving. So the cranking person can't see the opening. Part of the security was that you only needed a single guard. But you'd need more with moving bars. Also I'm not sure it would be easier that way or not. The bars being solid might weigh alot more than the cells which are made from plate steel with lots of air in the cells. If you summed the mass of both I wouldn't be surprised if the bars weigh much more. Also some cells face windows while some don't which is a reason you might want to be able to rotate the cells. There could be other reasons as well about the direction of the cells. Maybe you want to keep an eye on a particular prisoner. Overall I think it up for debate which way is better and we have to remember it was the 1880s. So some limitations applied in terms of electric lighting, security measures, and so on.

[@PianoKwanMan]

Like the corkscrew: why rotate the outside, when you can rotate the inside? Then someone came along and rotated the outside.

[@milesedgeworth132]

@@mcfail3450 They could attach a platform to the bars. The opening is rotated to a cell door, the door opens and the prisoner steps onto the platform, and then the bars are rotated back to the operator before opening.

[@Qrama]

Smells like a scam to me. It must have been so expensive to build this!

[@carlosandleon]

you gotta walk around the whole building then

[@john.wick1]

That same jail once housed the famous John Dillinger. Very surprised you didn't mention that. I live in Lafayette Indiana, and have been to Crawfordsville hundreds of times over the years. It is somewhat very common knowledge around here, so I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned to you and that you didn't share it in your video. He was also in jail in Crown Point, Indiana.

[@CodeRed001]

This reminds me of the prison level in Silent Hill 4. I believe the cells rotated but it was a guard on a upper level that could rotate the lower prison cells. You needed to rotate the cells in the right order in order to access a cell that wasn't locked that had a hole in the floor the the bottom set of rotating cells if I remember correctly.

[@raven4k998]

you go to jail for not paying taxes and the jail cell rotates and cuts your arm off ouch🤣🤣🤣

[@midnightotherworld8056]

AND sine doors had stopped working so they just dug and aligned those holes from the top floor to dispose of rotting corpses without any other prisoners noticing

[@jacksainthill8974]

I read a science fiction story once about a huge rotary jail made of stone that was built underground. Prisoners themselves had to haul the cells round it manually and they each had to make a complete circuit to get out. This would take them about fifteen years. I can't remember the title or who wrote it.

[@urban3921]

Helliconia, by Brian Aldiss

[@vermeilanimation3706]

Urban F thank you !

[@jacksainthill8974]

+Urban F Yes indeed, thank you: very kind. :)

[@chrisflanagan7564]

Urban F adding Helliconia to the list... Also Edgar Rice Burroughs has a rotating prison in one of the John Carter of Mars books, I think it's in The Gods of Mars, published in 1913...

[@lestranged]

'Manuscript found in a police state' by Brian Aldiss

[@MichaelSteeves]

Rule #1 of Engineering: Just because it can be done doesn't mean that it is a good idea.

[@RealLuckless]

Thought Rule #1 of engineering was "Double check your math"...

[@noodlesthe1st]

Yes but you can still do it for science!

[@franzluggin398]

+noodles6669 You mean "FOR !!SCIENCE!!"?

[@Stephen-Fox]

I thought it was 'stick to one system of measurements for gods sake'

[@nacoran]

He meant to say "Rule #2". Obviously he didn't check his math.

[@__Andrew]

What a horrible experience to be in this while drunk. You already feel like the room is spinning around and then they toss you into one that actually does.

[@bradcrosier1332]

You realize this didn’t rotate continuously, and when it did it was quite slow… It’s not like the Tilt-A-Whirl at the fairgrounds.

[@bradcrosier1332]

Perhaps I missed it, but that jail was still in use (albeit in a static configuration) when I started elementary school in there in 1972. I remember there being debate about what to do with the old jail - I’m glad they had the foresight to preserve it as a museum, as it is a fairly unique piece of history.

[@Backyardmech1]

Drop a quarter in the the slot and see what offender comes out.

[@richardhobbs7360]

I want a zodiac killer

[@werr3222werrr]

I want a serial arsonist

[@maruftim]

@@Vex2not he's not coming back sadly

[@TheWatcher_666]

😂🤣😂

[@gapetheapegod7976]

I just hope I get my legs back

[@simon_patterson]

Imagine the screams as someone on the opposite side has just had their arm partially amputated, and you have to keep turning (with their arm still jammed in the bars) to get them around to the only door.

[@EdwinCastillo]

I figure after 2 of those incidents, the guards were having nightmares and didn't want to work there anymore...

[@simon_patterson]

I reckon just one such incident would be enough for me, if I was a guard!

[@TheAnantaSesa]

Just back off the crank and shove the arm into the cell then start turning again. Full amputations only when no one screamed or too many were screaming to get anyone out for a court date without injuring "protestors" or passed out cold silent arm danglers.

[@coolguy284_2]

what if someone shoved an iron bar into the wall instead, and got the torque to warp and break the walls?

[@thorandil1]

Easy. Iron bar < Steel

[@AtlasInTheWest]

I am very amused that the thumbnail gets straight to the point.

[@plantkiller312]

45 years in Indiana, been threw Crawfordsville a few times, never herd of this. Nice work.

[@theCodyReeder]

I want one!

[@HowardVangorder]

Cody'sLab hey I'm about to watch your video :D

[@adam79634]

odd places to see your favorite youtubers

[@mitchell12375]

Hey! Cody's here!

[@Lizard-813]

That would be pretty cool. You could have a farm in one cell, a hive in one, and a chemistry lab in another.

[@ChongMcBong]

you definitely need one of these on your ranch :D

[@jasonwillows5239]

This reminds me of the apartment buildings in futurama where, instead of having an elevator, when you press a button at the front doorstep the entire building moves down

[@johnkakuk]

Haha it made me think of Hermes’ rubix cube office cubicle

[@idkidk4334]

Bite my shiny metal ass! Heheheheheheh

[@rumpelstiltskin6150]

That has been made but for cars.

[@rollanddev]

My understanding of "walking" was that my feet rotate the Earth underneath me. I have many things to consider now...

[@pascal590]

@@rumpelstiltskin6150 ok but cars and “car racks” are made to move not buildings!

[@TangoTopics]

Thats why i like Tom Scott, Simple Videos, good Talks, and always a bit fun. I enjoy it everytime

[@itzTwyce]

bro i litterally live right down the road from the jail. It was so nice to see you come here for that. Ive always found it interesting

[@vibraphonics]

"In hindsight it was not a good idea" . No, no, with just a little forethought it's not a good idea

[@natfailsyoutube8163]

But also with hindsight... if you wanted to correct something why not the assertion that a patent means no one has thought of it before?

[@TheStarBlack]

That point is very pertinent to our current situation!

[@cymond]

The inventor probably never foresaw it being used as a drunk tank, and assumed that sober/sane inmates would be smart enough not to stick their arms through the bars when it was moving.

[@KoboldPip]

@@cymond also in those days health and safety wasn’t a priority especially if it concerned prisoners

[@Cybella]

It wasn't a bad idea, it just needed to be worked on more.

[@Amidee]

Still better than Rotary amputations and accidental jails. But worse than amazing amputations and accidental places, I guess.

[@melody3741]

Amidee i would definitely refer to this jail design as an accident, and the amputations could be described as rotary.

[@zJoriz]

Those two titles are reserved for Citation Needed episodes, I bet.

[@Gositi]

Why can't you save a comment?!

[@danielhuang2488]

Lmao

[@orppranator5230]

Not really.

[@jerryrobinson7856]

Ideas like this at the time period were ingenious. Today’s lens and with the bias of knowing the experience downfall makes it look impractical. This video inspires mechanical geeks. All good. thanks for sharing.

[@natesturm448]

I've been to this location as it's only an hour away from me. Really neat idea, really can understand why it was a thing, and fully comprehend why it was stopped.

[@lestranged]

This reminded me of a short story I read as a kid called "Manuscript Found in a Police State", the story of a prisoner in a giant stone rotary prison where the prisoners have to pull on chains in the walls to make the wheel turn. There is only one entrance/exit, and It takes a full year for a cell to make it back to the door, so basically each one is in solitary confinement for the full year. Food is given through a chute in the ceiling if i recall.

[@caav56]

It's also called "Helliconia" from what I've heard.

[@AeroLXI]

That is an evil idea I love it lmao

[@vaiyt]

that's not a prison, that's a torture chamber

[@kittenwizard4703]

@@vaiyt whats the problem with that? Thats what prisoners deserve

[@givemeshrubs4295]

@@kittenwizard4703 really hope you're joking

[@U014B]

I'm so glad we learned from our mistakes and moved on to touch-tone jails.

[@PANZERFAUST90]

get...OUT!

[@AlexR2648]

Underrated comment

[@djm5687]

Next step: jail *CELLS* 📱

[@dielaughing73]

Of course it's all wireless now

[@Corn0nTheCobb]

Am I the only one that doesn't get it?

[@janmcguire5268]

This is fascinating! I had never heard of this before!

[@PlanwithJohn]

I grew up in Crawfordsville. We toured the jail as kids. They did not tell us about the amputation part! Probably for good reason! Great to see such history being preserved in a small town (General Lew Wallace Study & Museum and Lane Place as well)! Although I'm long gone now!

[@Muserschmitt]

Yeah, i imagine being locked up in that jail, drunk as hell, having the cell constantly rotate couldn't end well for the stomach...

[@jackkraken3888]

I had this weird dream where the whole cell was moving, and when I woke up my legs were broken.

[@clray123]

That's why they had the advanced toilets.

[@enx2083]

@@jackkraken3888 or the arm

[@jackkraken3888]

@@enx2083 Oh I don't talk about the one where my arms are broken. That was was extremely weird, for everyone.

[@mookie34545]

The loss of one of your hands in the rotating bone grinder might distract you from the nausea I suppose

[@tonymusic720]

I hear prisoners in jail get drunk a lot... They hang around bars 24/7.

[@Atreea]

you... well played

[@yashasvik2958]

This joke hurts to just read

[@Chris47368]

I read the second line as something more sinister than intended....

[@ViewingChaos]

This joke works on about three levels- well done indeed...

[@roboss5426]

An obscure yet charming pun.

[@pepsiman_fan6666]

There’s something so funny about Tom Scott thumbnails paired with the titles, The title being an ominous unanswered question, then the thumbnail being a very dry, blunt answer to said question.

[@Nipplehook]

Gives a whole new level of spinning room while being drunk.

[@Duramaxjon]

I just went and got a tour of this jail after finding this video. It was a lot to take in seeing it all in person. There are a lot of other cool areas of the jail that weren’t shown in this video. It’s worth it to go see this in person if you have the chance, but they close it in the winter because it isn’t insulated so it gets way too cold in there

[@DarkReturns1]

Couldn't imagine what it was like for the inmates there

[@iankelk]

_That's a neat idea!_ _That's a neat idea!_ _That's a neat idea!_ *OH MY GOD WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!*

[@melody3741]

Ian Kelk thought processes like this are a sure sign that somebody would be a bad engineer.

[@LeonVonDai]

Ikr.. when the said rotary I was like 'oh, circular like panopticon.' Then they were like 'no, we made the whole building revolve.' It's truly terrifying to think the people who green lit this were considered smart enough to be in charge of anything.

[@tywebbgolfenthusiast8950]

My home town of Council Bluffs, IA has one of these jails. We are also the hometown of Farrah Abrams and the the only Bar Rescue that Jon Taffer ever gave up on. It’s a special kind of place.

[@TrySpy]

I live a few miles outside of Crawfordsville! I drive by this thing so often that I've forgotten how rare it is.

[@aaronboyd5282]

What? I was in Crawfordsville when this was filmed. I can't believe I missed Tom being there. I even volunteered at the rotary jail a few weeks after this was posted to help them set up for a Halloween/fall community event.

[@BrendanThompson]

you could say he got off scott free

[@cornishcat11]

@@BrendanThompson bah dum tishhhhh

[@99xara99]

Yea I felt the same after a different video... 😂

[@geraldmerkowitz4360]

Imagine being trapped there when there is a fire. The cells are slowly emptied one by one, while the heat and screams of other inmates panicking are filling the room. Then, unable to stand the heat, the guard leaves you behind, leaving you and your cellmate to burn alive in a cage. Just because you were drunk.

[@rollanddev]

At least you'll burn faster...

[@waxwinged_hound]

If it's any consolation, you'd most likely die (or at least be completely unconscious) from smoke inhalation before being burned. From what I understand most victims of fires die from the smoke rather than the flames. Though I guess that's still a horrible death in its own right, but I at least would prefer that to being burnt alive.

[@geraldmerkowitz4360]

@@waxwinged_hound Well it IS a slight consolation thanks

[@reasoningtruth]

I had the exact same problem like this with a rotating sandblast chamber. It had two chambers, so that when one chamber was blasting, the other chamber was being emptied and reloaded. I just put a presence sensor on the stationary wall that would open the circuit when you got within 5 inches of it. Most of the time, the best solution to a problem is the easiest one. Cal/OSHA liked it so much they made it mandatory on all that manufactures blast rooms.

[@robinadair1610]

That’s awesome!

[@NikkiAkaNlg]

Genuinely curious how many incidents of amputation there were. Surely they kept track of that, right?

[@mackychloe]

They kept the arms as souvenir's.

[@randomusername1735]

I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't, considering mistreatment of prisoners is so common everywhere and the fact that it'd make them look bad

[@kashvi1225]

​@@mackychloe why did you put the apostrophe between souvenir and the s? ('s) shows possession, so "souvenir's" is wrong, you don't need an apostrophe you just need to say "souvenirs", you know, like a normal plural word

[@cameronspence4977]

Hahaha I bet they didn't, I bet they just displayed them as a warning to new arrivals what happens if you get any ideas They probably also used the amputated limbs as clubs in case any of the inmates got out of line

[@imawesomepersonDERP]

@@kashvi1225 in some languages (like Dutch), certain plural words have an apostrophe in between the word and the s, where English doesn't. Maybe they aren't a native English speaker and messed up in using a grammar rule from their native language

[@DrugzMunny]

I got an idea. None of the cells have doors, but you can use an Acme Portable Hole to create a door in one of the cells if you need to let an inmate out. The only problem is that, assuming your prison only owns one Acme Portable Hole, it takes a long time to release all of the inmates in the event of a fire. But, aside from that, there's virtually no benefits!

[@devingarcia2178]

How about we have no doors and use a rocket launcher to make a hole in the bars to let them out weld it shut and do the same to let them back in

[@section7173]

How about we have no doors and just light a fire?

[@Damien.D]

Just replace the door with a patented Aperture Science Shower Curtain Portal Generator. Problem solved.

[@benphillips6386]

0:08 looks like something Jigsaw would concoct.

[@joen0411]

That's exactly what I thought

[@mymyrrah]

benivanphillips dude you're like 10 how do you know about jigsaw

[@simontay4851]

He knows because he's watched the Saw films.

[@benphillips6386]

Blockman Zan it's quite a well know film. I haven't seen it though. And I'm not 10

[@Chinoz2]

guard : new inmate coming inmates : here we go round again...

[@yotypicalgamer2727]

I wish I was there, would have never expected you to even hear about little old Crawfordsville

[@annap.1711]

never thought the area from silent hill 4 was going to be based on a real type of rotating jail, that’s wild

[@gamefreak2016]

Limbs weren’t just cut off. They were crushed until they were ripped off. It’s probably the most violent way a human could lose an arm

[@KA-om9oz]

Well ok..then don't go to jail

[@DarkShard5728]

​@@KA-om9oz not every person in jail is guilty

[@marinaa9557]

@@DarkShard5728 Also, regardless of guilt, prison was the sentence for their crime, not brutal amputation.

[@DarkShard5728]

@@marinaa9557 True. I would say something mildly intelligent or spmething but I don't have the iq pont right now.

[@nataliemelody1501]

@@DarkShard5728 Probably... Brutal amputation should never be a sentence? Ever? (This intelligence stuff is harder than it looks)

[@DA28007]

The ad i got before this video started is talking about Tom Scott, now that's just bizzare

[@nightwolf7231]

surprised I haven't seen this video before. I have a rotary jail in my town of Council bluffs, Iowa as well called Squirrel Cage Jail

[@Ucceah]

sucessfully pitching such a "unique" idea, is a feat in it's own right.

[@EdwinCastillo]

Back then, inmate safety was not on top of the list of priorities.

[@General12th]

@@EdwinCastillo These days, inmate safety is not on top of the list of priorities. Half our population thinks "kill them all" is an acceptable punishment for most crimes.

[@jMcWill781]

By the name I thought this was citation needed

[@MarcusBurkenhare]

I was thinking the very same thing.

[@tomhowell8398]

Likewise

[@IceMetalPunk]

Aw, now I'm craving more Citation Needed :(

[@RainaRamsay]

It does have that feel to it

[@A13XLaircey]

I'd like the original comment, but that would just be evil... (665 likes 😨)

[@sadvec6328]

I like how the thumbnail implies that this slight problem was sporadic amputation

[@leonardotheredacted7447]

Its an absolute flashbang finding a Tom Scott video in my home town 😂

[@markmcginnis2781]

So cool to see one of my internet faves visiting my hometown. I am old enough that they were still using this (in its static configuration) as the local jail when I was very young. This unique feature wasn't enough to keep me from moving away though.

[@erickeast4835]

I remember reading a scifi short story, when I was younger (do not remember the title), where a rotational jail was cut into stone. The cells were alcoves in a central stone cylinder, with one entrance that was rotated by the efforts of the inmates, pulling at the walls/ropes in walls(?). It ended terribly, of course, as it needed a constant flow of new inmates to replace the one, that popped out as the cyliner inched forward. :(

[@1203fild]

Helliconia?

[@fleatactical7390]

"Manuscript Found in a Police State" as someone else mentions below?

[@danieltobbens7252]

@@1203fild The Wheel of Kharnabar in Heliconia Winter

[@hailey51422]

this reminded me of that too!

[@TecTitan]

This could make an interesting hobby destination, maybe like a bizarre hotel stay

[@ryang2573]

We have one of these in my home town of Council Bluffs, IA. It's called the "Squirrel Cage Jail" and it's currently a museum.

[@TheSpirosand]

I toured the rotating jail in council bluffs Iowa. it really is an amazing thing. It looks like a Victorian house from the outside, then there is a giant cage inside... they call that one the 'squirrel cage jail'.

[@WaffleAbuser]

Accidental Amputations is the name of my metal band.

[@cimmik]

Good for you. Sorry, I'm bitter today. Don't know why.

[@trychan959]

Thats the spirit

[@WaffleAbuser]

cimmik, it's a joke. I don't actually have a metal band haha

[@vacatiolibertas]

Spontaneous Diarhea is the name of mine

[@fazalahmed6337]

@@WaffleAbuser I don't have a metal band. But I do have a rubber band. I shall name it Accidental Amputations. 😁

[@Joey15811]

Fascinating. Didn’t know those existed.

[@kongchingpow]

I live 45 minutes from there! And my friend lives there in crawfordsville! Ive been wanting to go tour that forever.

[@lucaj3937]

They were just doing a good idea the wrong way. Some prisons now just have the guards in the CENTRE of a big circle of cells so you need fewer guards to look over more prisoners.

[@myscrnnm]

That's actually a design that has existed since the 18th century called the panopticon. -_____-

[@lucaj3937]

Cool info!

[@247flashgames]

Tom Scott actually did a video that briefly discusses the panopticon: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5mUhoufZcimp8Um37s

[@Jetsetlemming]

That's not a good idea either. No "better jail" is, it's all treating symptoms instead of addressing root problems. This internal device was chopping off limbs of people arrested for being drunk in public because they had nowhere to go and feelings to deaden. You don't solve that by building a better box to put your unfortunates in.

[@TheRealFlenuan]

Is it really any different in practice though

[@donnienottello]

This is in my hometown. It’s very interesting to not only see how the rotary jail works, but also how they had things built in for the people who worked there! There’s also a very interesting story where someone (the only one who was ever able to do it) escaped the jail and got caught at the bar across the street. Crawfordsville has a lot of very interesting historical sites/museums, especially when compared to the population!

[@N3RDYG0GGLES]

Was going to say, I was immediately concerned about the fire hazards or what would happen if some freak accident damaged the mechanism so they couldn’t rotate it anymore.

[@Virtual_Bastard]

Went to this exact same prison, spoke to the exact same lady, and even saw a lizard out front. Fun times!

[@Dezomm]

Mondays are easier to bear when you know there's a Tom Scott video coming! Thanks Tom.

[@Michael_Pereira]

Here I thought this would be a story about negligent doctors and phone dials, but again I am pleasantly surprised. Thanks again Tom!

[@STEZXE]

In the medieval ages crimes costed a limb, so you can easily say: 'history comes full circle'

[@ChristophBurschka]

a lot of those 18-19th century patents are just that Jurassic Park quote exemplified - "you were so preoccupied with whether you could that you didn't stop to think if you should"

[@KappaKiller108]

You mentioned exactly what I was thinking. It seems simpler and safer, to have the bars rotate around the cells... As opposed to stationary bars and a 30-ton rotating cell block

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'm not really sure that it's that much safer, the gearing needed to make that work would still be too much to realize when you're amputating a prisoner. And it does nothing to deal with the issues associated with fire. I suppose, in case of fire, you'd want a second wheel that just rotates the floor, allowing for access to a ladder. Not that there's any issues with the floor dropping away...

[@EskChan19]

Simpler, maybe. Safer? Doubtful. The main issues seemed to be the amputation and that in case of fire you couldn't get all inmates out quickly. Rotating the bars instead of the cells solves neither issue. Most contrary, the idea was that only one guard was needed to watch one door because the door was stationary. If you rotated the cells then the door would rotate too, which means you once again need a guard for cell basicaly. At that point you might as well just have a normal prison.

[@Ridz149]

Can we just appreciate how great this reporter was! Big thank you to her!

[@NeighborhoodCarReviews]

Well, I learned something new today. Never knew something like this existed!

[@gracemcd.1950]

Oh Indiana you never cease to amaze. I love it here

[@awog4203]

Cool to be able to say I’ve actually been inside this rotary jail in Crawfordsville Indiana. Tom Scott just made that experience a lot cooler!

[@grantparker3054]

My mom grew up in Crawsfordsville and took us to the rotary jail on a visit many years ago. It’s amazing how well it still runs!

[@MacCoy]

youtube kept showing me this for over a week. i guess im gonna watch it.

[@fredgervinm.p.3315]

Great idea ! Don't worry about fire or amputation...

[@kellyh9621]

I remember this from Silent Hill 4. I just didn't know that it was a real thing. Now I am creeped out.

[@Cavemanner]

I love that I'm still discovering episodes from this series 4 years on!

[@bobbyrohrman8834]

I’ve been inside of the jail featured here. I was in the small town this came from and they used to bring one of the elementary school grades there every year

[@NorthAyase]

I'm picturing it being like a giant party where everyone in the cell is yelling "faster".

[@mrclive5]

Tom Scott, you're a legend! Love what you do!

[@rayers1000]

I live near this!!!! I had no idea!!!! I'm gonna have to go find it and check it out!! Thank you Tom! I never expected this channel to touch any of our local history. That's awesome.

[@lawrencebraun7616]

I heard about this 30 years ago on a a Chicago TV show "Wild Chicago."

[@Bartooc]

For 1880 this looks really well made

[@kenirainseeker539]

Imagine getting really drunk one night, getting put in the drunk tank, and sobering up to find one of your arms gone. You'd think it musta been one wild night.

[@vlasktom]

Being a Hoosier, and interested in old county jails, this intrigues me. I've seen it in person but didn't get to see it rotate. Great video, Tom!

[@KyleHamilton14]

same

[@Failure_Is_An_Option]

You just turn the crank.

[@56independent42]

1:25 mini fence: hehe, nobody is gonna touch the big pole now! haha im so eveil!

[@wickerman9569]

There was 1 in Waxahachie Texas. The jail house is still there, but the cell’s were scraped many years ago.

[@RadionWave]

Hell yeaa, an upload right when I get home~