The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-28
MONTANASTA7E PRISONS
The Now One at Billings and I'm
provsmcnts at Deer Lodge
Penitentiary.
NLack Of Funds Will Neccasitato
the Use Of Convict
Work

tHf #D.r W 80 H#'-Hf. 4
Daily Routine Of Life In tho Enolosuss
Across tic Rangs-Nothing Much
to do but Think.
Tho board OF state prison commissionsre.
ate in somewhat Of q ~quandary In regard 70
the work mapped ont for Thorn BY tho lnss
legislature. A law wac passed continuing
tina present penitsntiary at Dcer Lodge and
improving The place. and also TO build-a
new ono AZ Billings. That Of Deer Lodge
will then be known ~ the wsstefn states
prison. and the one At BilIings % tho
esstern states b ison. Fot the new prison
and the rspAirs 10 the present ons me ls0-
~islnturc appropriated $4,000. This amount
the boord has apportionsd m follows; fos
the new prison Al Billings. $4,000, for re-
prairs and additions to the n at Deer
Lodge, 92s, 200. The appropriation. how
eysr. was madc late In the session, and ~
there were many others ahead OF u and y
must take It's turn. some timo muss
slapss before the money 10 available.
The board have concluded that some OF the
work proposed on the Deer Lodge prison 10
absolutely necessary, particularly tho stone
wall around the grounds. At present the
prison grounds are enclosed by . high
board fence. which ID neither handsome poi
substantial. It is proposed to replace this
by a stone wall sixteen feet in height. The
wall will be placed some distance outside
the present board fence and Thus give
more space in the grounds. The soard
IL also thinking Of adding . WING to the
present stone building, but vial mos 90
ahead with that project until they feel sure
Tho money il available. Meantime bv IN
arrangement entered into with thu citizens
Of Billines, temporary buildings Will bs
srected there for the accommodation ON
certain number Of the state convicts.
When they are ready there will be from 100
10 100 Of the copvicts moved from Deer
Lodge TO Billings, and there utilized In the
erection OF their new home"
Under the laws OF Montana convict labor
can only be utilized in and for the prison
where they are confined. This the board
considers solves ths question OF utilizing
them on the proposed wall at Deer Lodge.
and the brildings at Billings.. When 10 was
at first proposed in the legislature to move
The entire state rison from Deer Lodge to
Billings. the bill proposed that temporary
buildings should be erected at the latte!
place and as many conyicts ~ they would
accommodate we're to be movea snere'
to them and put to work erecting the per-
manent structures and walls. Later. on
account OF the OPT osition this created
among the labor organizations, q substitute
bill was introduced in which 1t was pro-
vided that the work should be done bv CON
tract. Still later " WAS decided to allow
the present prison TO remain at Deer Lodge
and 10 build another at Billings. The bill
for that purpose. which was the one passed
and which is now a Law. made IT
tho duty Of the board OF state prison
commissioners to begin the Billings peni-
July, 1893. It was further provided that
the board should. on or before the first
Monday. in April. 1893. advertise In Helena
and Butte for plans and specifications for q
prison to accommodate not less than 200
prisoners ut one time. Plans and specif-
Monday in May. On or before that day
the bonrd were to advertise In Helena, Butte
and Billings for bids to construct and
erect the prison. The right 10 given
to reject any and all bids
as too high, and advertise anew:
1t was MISC provided that the board shall
advertise in Deer Lodge, Silver Bow and
Lewis and Clarke counties for proposals for
such improvements as they may think nsc-
essary at the western states prison, and
that they shall let the contract on or before
June /, 1893.
Under these provisions It would seem
that the legislature meant that none of the
proposed work should be done By convict
labor. 10 do II by contract labor, the
board found, would mean that
no improvements at Deer Lodge and
no building at Billings would be
possible this year. The wall around the
Deer Lodge prison 10 considered absolutely
il allowed to te used in work for the bene.
ft of the prison. the board have concluded
to have the prisoners do the building. It
wss at first intended to have the convicss
also quarry the stone for the wall. The
quarry. however, Is some distance from
in md out every day. They would have to
re fed and made to sleep at the
quarry, which would require o number, of
Temporary buildings and a lnrRe numbsr of
extra guards. Under these circumstance
the board concluded to have the stone
prison, and then to let the oonvicts do the
work Of building the wall. II is about the
same at the proposed Billings prison. The
board find that to wait for the money to
come in and then let o contract would mean
nothing done this year. For that reason
tl0 necessary uuNiUeE VI COuVlCto Will DC
transferred from Deer Lodge TO Billings as
soon as temporary quarters are completed
there. As the quarry is right on the grounds
selected for the eastern prison. She JON
viots will be likely made to get out the
stone as well as do the building work.
This will be good news to the vast majority
OF tho convicts ut Deer Lodge, whether IL
proves to be a popular move or not on the
outside. Al present there 10 very little
work for the men confined at Deer Lodge.
Some few n occupation in the kitchen.
the laundry and in any odd jobs around
the place. But by far the greater number
have nothing to do but sit in their cells and
read and think and count tho days, tho
weeks, the months and the years that stand
between them and freedom. They leave
their cells only for meals and for the reRu-
lar daily exercise in tho yard which the
prison rules require, and which Ia intended
to benefit them. az 1t no doubt docs.
In the penitentiary at Deer Lodge there
are at present something over $40 prisoners,
only five of whom are women. The needed
daily work OF cooking. cleaning up md
repairing does not employ n tenth of
these men. The others sit idle nearly ali
day in their cells. Three times a day they
are marched down to the ground foor Of
their cor idor to eat. Once a day they are
marched out by ticrs to the parade ground.
where a board walk has been constructed.
There they walk in single file an allotted
time. for exc else. Then they 90 back to
their cells TO read or work ON such little