Yuma Territorial Prison Case Study

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 west of the Gila River, south of the red river, east of the city of Yuma and north of the desert. It was located in that place because no one laughed that the prisoners were going to risk their lives trying to escape through the desert, swimming by the rivers with strong current or that some citizen saw them and reported to the authorities. In the year of 1876 the prison was opened, with a capacity of up to 350 prisoners, although in it they lived around 3000, including 29 women. According to the employees of that place, the prisoners were not only there to fulfill their punishment, but they also learned things, they had a series of rules that they had to follow to have a good behavior and thus have the opportunity

The yuma territorial prison had a big impact on yuma. There are many prisons but the yuma territorial prison is different, why? Because it was the first prison in arizona. And out of all arizona it was build in yuma, a small town, it help yuma in many ways. The prison helped yuma with it’s population, the economy, society, and it also helped yuma grow.

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.

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

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 is a former prison located in yuma, Arizona, Opened in 1875, it is one of the yuma crossing and Associate sites on the National Register of Historic places in the Yuma crossing National Heritage area. Three significant this about the prison is the Education of yuma,The economy of the Yuma territorial prison , and how after the closing of the prison it became very useful. If the prison would have stayed open there would have been more reason to write about but it turned into a national park by the United States of America. And people now go there to see how it was to be a prison in the 1800-1900.

The Yuma Territorial Prison is an amazing landmark that holds a lot of sad memories and pieces of history. According to Arizona State Parks, on July 1, 1876 the first inmates were taken and locked up in the prison. The prison ran for 33 years and held about 3,069 prisoners. It was one of the best prisons because of how hard it would be to escape. This paper will explain how the Yuma Territorial Prison was a model institution for its time, how it helped the homeless during the Depression and a place of suffering as well as an interesting historic site to the modern society.

When the Yuma Territorial Prison was constructed in 1875, Yuma’s population and popularity increased significantly. By building a prison in Yuma, jobs were opening up that paid better than any other job at the time.

Alcatraz was used for prisoners, very dangerous prisoners. Prisoners who murdered people,prisoners who sold liquors and also drugs,prisoners who also kidnapped humans. Those prisoners went to Alcatraz. How is Alcatraz different from other prisons, you might ask. One way Alcatraz is different from other prisons is because Alcatraz was a super max prison.

The prison hasn’t just been used to provide a building, but its been used for it’s material and has been slowly torn apart. Piece by piece through time, parts of the prison have been torn down. In 1916, there was a flood in Yuma and what the townspeople used to rebuild were parts from the prison (Murphy 1). In order for the Southern Pacific Railroad to be built the western walls and the woman's cells had to be destroyed in 1923 (The Yuma Territorial Prison). More destruction was made when the hospital in the prison and the Mes Hall were burned down in 1924 (The Yuma Territorial Prison).

111 prisoners died during the time they served their sentences, most of them from tuberculosis, which was passing through the territory. There were no executions in the prison. The only punishments was the dark cell for inmates who broke prison regulations (they were chained to the stone floor) and the ball and chain for those who tried to escape. Prisoners had access to regular medical attention and to hospital, access to schooling, and many of them learned to read and write in the prison... Out of most of the prisons in the late 1800’s, the Yuma Territorial Prison was one of the most unsanitary and awful prisons.

Over a century ago in 1875 the construction began in 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.

The Yuma Territorial Prison was constructed in 1875 and was officially opened on July 1, 1876 with a total of 7 prisoners. It was open for 33 years. The prison initially opened with 7 prisoners in custody. The prison was a large part of the development of Yuma and how its name is commonly recognized. The prison has been a famous historical site known for its filming of old western movies.

Screams and cries of insanity can still be heard echoing down the halls of Eastern State as men and women were being hooded in order to leave their cells. The faint cries of children can be heard as they were roaming around half clothed in Pennhurst. The cells in Eastern State were surprisingly accommodating considering the circumstances, but they were not someplace a person would call “home”. Life in either of these facilities was nowhere near enjoyable. If someone was not crazy when admitted they soon would become so.