Old Joliet Prison Catches Fire

JOLIET, IL — The old Joliet Prison on Collins Street went up in flames Monday evening. Joliet firefighters were called to the abandoned buildings Monday just before 8 p.m. to battle heavy flames. The Joliet Correctional Center closed in 2002.

The building was used as a prison dating back to 1858, when it was built with prison labor. In its latter years, the prison was used as a holding facility before inmates were sent to other state prisons. The location also has been used for movies and TV shows, most famously in the opening scene of the 1980 movie the "Blues Brothers" when John Belushi's character, Jake, is released from the slammer.

Several people who were on the property Monday evening were taken into custody by Joliet police, according to a report by The Herald-News.

The Joliet Fire Department posted video to its Facebook page at about 9 p.m.

In 2013, a warehouse on the property caught fire and the roof collapsed. At the time, city officials said the gates of the prison were welded shut and squatters or vagrants couldn't get inside the prison. For years, there's been talk of trying to turn the old prison into a place for tours. In 2009, the prison parking lot was turned into a free public park, according to a city web page.

People routinely come to the prison grounds for photographs and to glimpse a piece of city and pop culture history, as evidenced by the reviews and photos on tripadvisor.

Patch will update this developing report.

photos: Joliet Fire Department