The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28
BIC ARMY PRISON IS
NEARLY COMPLETED
S3.0O0,O00 Structure Built on
Fund of S643,000
PRISONERS WORKED
Three Hundred Employed on the
Construction Proper While 9th
ers Prepare Material-To
Be Detention Home


Fort 1eavenworth. Kan, September 27.
fSpecial 1-Beginning five years ago with
an appropriation Of S6i30o, Lieut.-coi.
Thomas II. Slavens. commandant OF
the United States military prison at Fort
T.eayenworth, set out to build the finest
pentitentiary in the United States, to
cost close TO 100000. The new prison is
rapidly approaching completion and
when it is finished the cost will be we'll
within the original appropriation.
Meantime the prison will have changed
it's character entirely, for instead of max
ing cony1cts of deserters and other petty
offenders Uncle Sam is going to try an
other plan. There is entirely too much
good soldier material wasted by the old
system. Uncle sam is going to conserve
this by giving the deserters a chance to
go back to the ranks, through the reform
atory. and clear their records.
Schooling in Trades
While he is working out the reform
ideas he is giving the prisoners a school
ing in good trades. Through their labor
Uncle Sam has been enabled to save the
difference between se430O0 and 5000 600.
Already the prison walls, power plant, au-
ditorium and kitchen have been COM
pleted, and within a very short time two
of the four cell wings will be ready for
occupancy. The foundations have been
laid for the two remaining cell wings
hos CT ad rprf1n5alin q
several of the warehouses; of the old
prison.
Tho labor was the easiest problem Col
onel Stevens had to solve. Confined In the
prison are men from every walk of life.
Carpenters, brickmasons plumbers and,
in fact, every trade is represented. Those
who knew no trade we're given instruc-
tions or assigned to the duties of the COM
mon laborer There are now $50 men in
the prison, mostly deserters from the
army.
Prisoners Do the Work
Three hundred of them are employed on
the construction proper while the others
are assigned the work of preparing ma
terial for the different buildings. In ad-
dition, prisoners operate the post terminal
railway system, aid in the construction
of roads, the preservation of forests and
besides work being done in the shops
where clothing and shoes are manufac-
tured for the use of prisoners only.
Colonel Slavens' first duty was to plat
out a village to the north of the prison.
where the guards reside. Then an i'm
mense stockade was built. mile north,
where a brick plant, rock crusher, lime
kiln, sawmill wood saw and concrete
block making machinery were installed.
Concrete Block Walls
The thick walls of the prison are OF
concrete blocks, the foundation of which
is in some places 30 feet in the ground
The cell houses are of brick, burned in the
prison kiln; concrete blocks made by pris-
oners, and steel. The walls are several
feet thick. The crushed stone was taken
from the prigon quarry and crushed by
prison labor. Even the usual expensive
feature of building, the woodwork. Is
costing the government but trihe. From
the forest of trees, many of them walnut,
the lumber for the woodwork is secured.
Skilled cavers in the mill are turning out
the finest of finished material
The cell houses are three stories, each
containing eight tiers of modern cells.
Each cell is equipped with toilet, cot,
an electric light and chair One man
will be allotted to each cell. The big au-
ditorium has a seating capacity of 2200.
The stage is fireproof and sufficiently
large for a big productions. The scenery
10 being painted by an artist who is serv-
ing term for desertion. The dining hall
is as large the auditorium and is now
being used daily. The bath house is said
to be one of the largest in the country;
the entire command can bathe within a
fow hours. There are now 96S men con-
fined and the old prison quarters are
crowded to capacity. When the new
ft ,Intn .fr.f IL
quartered.
Will Try New Plan
The new prison is not to be a prison at
all, but detention home for deserters
and petty offenders. All hardened GRIM
inals and those found guilty of grave Of
fenses are to be confined at Alcatraz Is
land, California.
After the prison is completed what will
all of the prisoners do?" Colonel Sla-
vens was asked.
why. there will be plenty of work for
all of them mapped out was the reply.
I'VE have model farm here of 700 acres
with 80 cows to supply the prison with
milk and butter The yield on the farm
this year will be great.
But not all prisoners can be given
farm work, so within a short time the
government is going to try out the deten-
tion system. sThis principle will first be
introduced in the prison here and it will
be watched by military experts through
out the world.
Prisoners will be detailed in companies
and drilled and instructed in the use of
firearms, signaling, engineering and other
branches They will BE given much the
same instruction as are the regulars
Many of the men now confined here
would make excellent soldiers If given the
chance.
Men who show themselves worthy will
have the chance to go back into the service
again following their discharge from the
prison If they care to. Before, when dis
charged from the prison. they went away
with a black mark against them. They
were dishonorably discharged from the
army and never could re-enist. | think
Slat the system will prove very success
ful.''