Phoenix Jail Inmate Search

Sometime after the year 1867, the first jail in Phoenix, AZ, which is located in Maricopa county, believe it or not was a large rock. This rock was situation in the heart of town, outside public buildings and served as a prison since the rock was affixed with a metal leg iron. Prisoners were shackled outside, to this rock since, at this time, a prison building had not been constructed. The accused prisoner had to face the humiliation of being chained to this large rock that served as a prison for hours or sometimes days at a time.

Jack Swilling was an early pioneer settler in Phoenix. Jack was elected to a head up a militia and eventually began First Lieutenant in the Conferate Army. Swilling was named Constable in Maricopa county and incorporated the idea of using the large rock to serve as a prison until a suitable building to serve as a jail was built. Jack had sustained injuries from various previous battles and because of these injuries and the pain he suffered, Jack became addicted to pain killers. Jack Swilling, later on, became a suspect in a stagecoach robbery near Wickenburg and this eventually lead to his death. While Jack was on a trip across country he and his friends were believed to match the description of a few robbery suspects. Jack was detained but because of poor conditions of the prison and his health situation, he became weak. Even though, he was released from prison because of his poor health, Jack soon died.

Phoenix is known for the Great Papago Escape. On December 23, 1944, twenty-five Germans prisoners tunneled out of Camp Papago Park, which was a POW facility. These prisoner escaped into the surrounding desert. All the prisoners were captured and detained within Maricopa County.