California: Farewell to Club Fed

Farewell to Club Fed

Whites were never required for tennis. But the fact that there was a court and other such amenities, along with a clientele of celebrity convicts like Wall Street finagler Ivan Boesky and Watergate culprit H.R. Haldeman, earned California's Lompoc Federal Prison Camp a reputation as a country club. Set on 42 campus-like acres, Club Fed, as it was called, had neither walls nor armed guards. Its 650 or so mostly white-collar prisoners rose at 6 a.m. to pancakes or oatmeal and worked until 3:30, earning 11 cents to 42 cents an hour (Boesky cleaned the visiting room). Then they were free...

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