The Arizona sentinel., 1901-01-23
The Penitentiary..

The board of control, in it's report upon the territorial prison, recommends to the legislature that the construction ! Jf a modern prison at Yuma, or else
 where, be considered. The prison was established at Yuma in 1876 and al though meeting the requirements of the territory at that time, was very primitive affair." It has been extended
 and enlarged from time to time, but Is still not to be compared with modern
 prison construction, and in it's present
 condition is wholly inadequate to the needs of the rapidly growing territory. The cells hold six men each and with the confinement of this Eany men in @ cell at night, and cOngregating the
 whole number of prisoners in the yard during the daytime, with comparatively no work to do, it is an absolute impos- sibility to maintain the discipline or secure the reformation that is desired and expected in institutions of this nature. The prisoners have free inter course with each other at practically all times. there are no means of separate confinement and no adequate amount of labor for them to perform. Under such conditions no reformation of the criminally inclined is possible and the prison becomes iii reality school for crime maintained at public expense.
 Superintendent Browns report out lines fully the alterations and additions that are necessity to the present prison, and the cost is roughly estimat- ed at S37, ,500. It is anticipated that any alterations now made should provide for the care of 800 men. The board urges the amendment of the law relating to the funds of the prison. As the law now stands all moneys received for the support of United States pris- oners and from other sources are paid into the general fund of the territory, and all expenses are paid by general fund warrants bearing ' per cent inter- est. That method adds to the cost of supplies from the fact that the board is only authorized to audit the prison ac- counts every three months. If special tax were levied for the support of the prison and all money received for pro- ducts of maintenance were put into the prison fund, from which all bills could be paid monthly, it would materially lessen the expenses.
 SOME INTERESTING FIGURES.
 At the close of the year, December 3l, I6SS, there were 214 prisoners in the penitentiary. June 30, 1899, 218, and June 30. 1900, 266. For the six months ending June 30, 1899, forty additional criminals were received and thirty-six discharged. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, 145 were received and ninety-sCven discharged, an increase of forty-eight for the year. Of the 266 prisoners, 265 are male and one female, PA whites, 10l MeXicans, twenty-three Indians, thirteen negroes and five Chinamen; 224 are territorial and forty two United States prisoners. There are twenty-nine men serving life sen tences, fourteen serving terms between twenty and forty years, sixty serving terms between five and ten years, and l30 serving terms between one and five years. The character of crimes is as follows: Murder, thirty-eight; murder in second degree, five: attempt to mur der, three; assault to murder, two: manslaughter, seventeen; assault with deadly weapon, four: assault, seventeen: rape. seven: robbery, sixteen: burglary, ten: grand larceny, ffty-One: felony, six; forgery, ten; emhezzlement, five: perjury, one: counterfeiting, three; smuggling, nineteen: selling liquor to Indians. seventeen; mayhem, two; crimes against nature, two; defacing earmarks, one.
 The gross expense for maintaining the prison for six months ending June 30. 1899, was S23, ,S75.29, and the net ex- pense $ZI, ,O74.16. The annual net per capita cost was SI58.69 and the daily net per capita cost was 43.4 cents.
 Sanitary conditions at the prison have been most excellent. and the health of the pri-onc1s has been uniforml, good.