Construction of Stateville Correctional Center began in 1917.  It wasn't until March of 1925 until the facility was opened by the State of Illinois.

This facility has a historic 1925 "roundhouse" design, and it is still in operation today. The prison's operational capacity is 4,053. It sits on over 2,200 acres, with 64 acres which are surrounded by a 33-foot concrete wall.

In 1994, serial killer John Wayne Gacy was put to death at this facility.