Yma Territorial Prison Research Paper

Summary: The prison reform movement was a generally successful movement led by Dorothea Dix in the mid-1800’s. This movement sought to reform the poor conditions of prisons and establish separate hospitals for the mentally insane. In this article written by Dorothea Dix, directly addresses the general assembly of North Carolina, she explains the lack of care for the mentally insane and the necessary care for them. In the section regarding the jails, she talks about how the insane are locked up because they pose of a threat to the public’s safety not confined somewhere. Also, they are stationed in small cells chained up which is torturing them, and only the rich can afford to be sent to hospitals where they take much better care of.

With the names, he adds, what they did and how it affected everything in the long run. Ovid ensured that everyone that needed credit received credit. He includes -History of Andersonville Prison (Revised Edition) by Ovid L. Futch ~ With a New Introduction by Michael P. Gray- University Press of Florida

Authorized by the legislature in 1875. To build a prison in one of the most hottest, driest, and isolated places in arizona. Building started on april 28, 1876 with the help of the prisoners sentenced to the facility and budget of $25,000, the jail was completed on july 1, 1876. It continue to be in operation for 33 years till 1909 when the florence prison was built and all inmates were transferred.(“Timeline - Yuma Territorial Prison Museum & Park - Historic Yuma AZ”) Closing the prison’s gates, stuck on the bluff by the colorado river.(“Yuma Territorial Prison - Arizona Ghost Town”)

The Yuma Territorial Prison first opened in 1875 and is still standing after 141 years. For many years people in Yuma fought to keep this prison a historical landmark. After all the years, many things have occurred to change the structure of the prison. The Yuma Territorial Prison did not allow prisoners to do certain activities that could affect them after they were released. The Yuma Territorial Prison can teach people about the different functions, regulations that reflected laws in Arizona, and the changes in the appearance of the prison.

The Yuma Territorial Prison On July 1, 1876, the first seven prisoners were moved into the Yuma Territorial Prison and every day the prison was still under construction for another 33 years. The budget the prison could not pass was $25,000. The prison was based off a contest that was manufactured on making the prison. The prison was located Prison Hill Road in the historic part of Yuma, not far away from Yuma Crossing-Quartermaster Depot.

Other times it is used to host events like the 5k Run. The Yuma Territorial Prison can be used for many things, but it will always be apart of what made Yuma’s

In 1875 construction began on the most luxurious and only prison in Arizona at the time before the building of the Florence prison by the first seven prisoners. Due to those seven prisoners construction help the prison was able to be in operation for 33 years,having over 3,000 men and women serve their time. This newly built prison was called the “Yuma Territorial Prison” aka the “Country Club on The Colorado” However the Yuma Territorial Prison had a significant impact on Yuma and other surrounding southwest states by allowing Yuma and prisons to boost both economically and physically. Which was done by increasing Yuma’s population/economy,boosting the standards of prisons,and providing Yuma with the needed supplies and influence to redesign/rebuild

The Yuma Territorial Prison opened in 1875, but the first prisoners were not moved to the prison, in till 1876. Over three thousand prisoners sentences were served during the thirty three years the prison was operational. Yuma Territorial Prison was perceived throughout its many different roles as a luxury for the community of Yuma, Arizona. The community of Yuma,Arizona might think this because of the many benefits the prison gave the inmates and the town people .The prison also played many different roles other than just being a prison.

History of prisons- Why were they created? What is their purpose? What are we doing to actually reform them? a) Who has jail helped? Most inmates seen repeatedly coming in and out of jail?

B. Kelly, thought that it would help boost the city’s economy. Another reason why the prison was built in Yuma was because the location would have been perfect. Since the Gila River was on the east of where they planned on building and the Colorado was North, with Yuma to the West it discouraged prisoners from escaping. The fact that the prison would be 170 miles away from San Diego, California and 220 miles away from Tucson, Arizona (Zlateuski web) even the thought of prisoners escaping would be highly unlikely. Lastly, Yuma’s weather was miserable there was nothing but dry heat for most of the

Within this quote we see that in St. Clair prison, inmates get raped and stabbed. These are reasons why prisons should be reformed. Prisoners shouldn’t be hurt for whatsoever problems. Conversely, Penal Reform International article suggested different reasons to reform prisons one that stood out to reform the particular prison in Alabama was this, Provide a healthy, safe environment. “Spaces that are filled with sunlight, outside views, therapeutic color schemes and normalized materials, encourage inmates’ participation, reduce stress, incidents and assaults and decrease staff absenteeism.”

In 1852, their wish was granted and the state purchased 20 acres of land at San Quentin for $10,000. The Waban arrived on July 14, 1852 with about 40 to 50 convicted criminals. There, they began to work on building the prison. On Oct. 12, 1852, a “contract was let for the first cell building.” The first permanent prison was completed in 1854.

The women were often arrested on made up charges and were jailed when they refused to pay fines. They were sent to Occoquan Workhouse, a prison in Virginia (Carol, Myers, Lindman, n.d., National Woman 's Party, Picketing and Prison section, para 2). The women staged hunger strikes and “were forcibly fed in a tortuous method” (Carol, Myers, Lindman, n.d., National Woman 's Party, Picketing and Prison section, para 2). The women were beaten and thrown into “cold, unsanitary, and rat-infested cells” (Carol, Myers, Lindman, n.d., National Woman 's Party, Picketing and Prison section, para 2). Eventually prison officials moved Alice to a sanitarium to get her declared insane but the news of her treatment, along with the other women, became public.

Over a century ago in 1875 the construction began for what is now known as the Yuma Territorial Prison. Known to be one of many of Yuma’s historical artifacts the Territorial Prison was in operation for thirty three years, holding up to 3,069 prisoners and obtaining its first prisoner on July 1, 1876. Although the Yuma Territorial Prison was viewed as having a bad reputation, it actually treated the inmates fairly well. The prison maintained rules which were enforced and followed by the inmates.

Angela Davis in her book, Are Prisons Obsolete?, argues for the overall abolishment of prisons. Amongst the significant claims that support Davis’ argument for abolition, the inadequacy of prison reforms stands out as the most compelling. Reform movements truthfully only seek to slightly improve prison conditions, however, reform protocols are eventually placed unevenly between women and men. Additionally, while some feminist women considered the crusade to implement separate prisons for women and men as progressive, this reform movement proved faulty as female convicts increasingly became sexually assaulted. Following the theme of ineffectiveness, the reform movement that advocated for a female approach to punishment only succeeded in strengthening