The state herald., 1899-06-30
MODEL STATE PRISON
MoNrANA.s HUMANE METHODS

MONTANA'S HUMANE METHODS
.Given Liberties, Prisoncrs Built Their Own
Prison-school Privileges Accorded to
tho Inmates and Musical Instructor
Furnished.
The Montana state penltentiary, ir
Its care for and management of iH
prisoners, Is q unique Institution and
might well be taken us a model by
many institutions of like character In
older states. Not only is every effor'
made to benefit the unfortunate in.
mates and fit them for honest lives aft.
er they shall have left the prison walls,
but much Is done to render their pres
ent condition cheerful. Wardens Con.
ley and Mc'rague, who have had
charge Of the prison for many years,
act upon the theory that, with all posi-.
BILE alleviations, pcnitentiary life Is n
severe punishment and that large
percentage Of the men will quickly
show their appreciation Of kindness
by being far more tractable than II
they We're not accorded any privileges
The penltentiary might almost be
clnssed as an educational institution
In the prison school, organized -four
years since, are taught all the English
branches of the ordinary grammar
schools, in addition to penmanship,
bookkeeping, typewriting, telegraphy
and photography. A telegraphic appa.
ratus has been set up In the peniten.
tiary for the use Of the pupils. Teach.
ers as well as students are taken from
among the ranks of the inmates.
But the prison school Is not the only
remarkable feature of this Institution;
In the work performed by the convicts
within the past few years the Montana
penitentinry has made record which
is to the credit OF Its managers. Until
within the last five or six years the
state prison consisted of few log
buildings of various sizes and one
small stone structure, all surrounded
by n high board fence. The present
prison building ranks among the finest
in the United States. Few will excel
1t In solidity or beauty, for while sym.
metrical In outline it is far less severe
in appearance than the usual building
of that class, being more elaborate In
detail, more modern in design and sur.
passing In point of architectural beauty
most institutions of similar character.
The building is Of brick, riveted with
rugged. nntive granite: 1888 feet In
length. 80 feet In width and nearly AZ
feet In height. with four towers rising
to height of 60 feet, the whole con,
thinning floor space Of over 1890
square feet. In addition to this is what
Is known as the Assembly hail." a
building two stories high, 40 by &C
Feet composed entirely of brick with
trimmings of granite blocks Surround.
ing both buildings Is n wall Of native
rock. evenly cut and perfectly match.
ed. extending nine feet into the ground.
twenty feet In height. finished with q
coping three feet wide. with massive
entrances, and with four towers forty
feet In height. These new buildings
and improvements. which ordinarily
would have involved In their construc.
ton an expenditure Of nearly a quarter
or million. have been built by the IN.
mates OF the prison, nll within the
space of four years and at cost to the
state of less than $4,000.
This work was mt first undertaken n.
an experiment. with many doubts and
misgivings, but In short time the wis.
dom OF the plan was demonstrated, sc
that when 1t was decided to erect the
main buildlng-the most recently com.
pletcd portion OF the worls-althouCh
1t Involved considerable responsibility,
vet the commissioners and managers
had not the slightest hesitation In Civ.
Ing work to the prisoners. There wer.
no quarrels among the men, no insub
ordination and no attempted escapes
while the work was In progress. with.
out chains or feitcrs and with but few
guards the men quarricd the rock. cut
and dressed the granite blocks. nodded
and burned the bricks, dug the sand.
burned the lime. cut the logs and
sawed the lumber.