Former warden uses experiences to educate prison tourists

Retired warden Mike Groose now works as a guide on the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors' Bureau Missouri State Penitentiary tours.
Retired warden Mike Groose now works as a guide on the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors' Bureau Missouri State Penitentiary tours.

Looking back at the years he spent as a warden at the old Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC), Mike Groose said his job was definitely not boring.

"It's not like retail or factory jobs," he said. "It was a pretty unpredictable work environment."

Groose had two tours of duty at what he calls "The Walls" and also served as a deputy warden at the "Church Farm" prison off of Missouri 179. Now in his second year doing tours at the old prison site, Groose's experiences have helped him in his new job.

"People who come on tours enjoy a personal touch," he said. "One of the great things is ....

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