The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1958-12-12

now being constructed on the prison
ranch will provide housing for EN-
playable inmates; but as the rancl
itself, being principally cattle oper
alton, provides limited rehabilitativt
work, facilities such as shops anC
classrooms will be needed at the dorm
tory site.
Medical-dental facilities inside the
compound offer little opportunity fol-
adequate medical care. A small clinic
attendants office, operating room
and dental office, until recently were
crowded together in a single room
Bed capacity is below any accepted
standard for the number of prison in
mates. Sanitation is made difficult
by inappropriate construction. Iso-
lation is impossible. These facilities
were discussed in chapter w, Health
and Medical Services.
KITCHEN "FILTHIST PLACE :"
Food for inmates confined within
the walls is prepared and served in
section of the basement beneath
the INSIDE" administration building.
The kitchen has been described by a
visiting, leading penologist, as ''the
filthiest place I've ever seem" This
condition is not due to lack of eff
fort on the part of prison officials
and inmates to maintain sanitary con-
ditions. 1t exists because the basic
structure is so antiquated. that eff
fective sanitation is virtually i'm
possible. Efficiency is likewise out
of the question because of space
limitations and the impossibility of
proper arrangement within the space
available. Although somewhat mod
ernized in recent years, the dining
room is in a poorly ventilated area;
furthermore it is difficult to maintain
sanitary conditions there. After a
recent survey of the prison, the Mon
tana Medical Association reported:
kitchens were dirty, hot, poorly
ventilated. New kitchens are needed"
The outdoor recreation area within
the walls, which serves about 400 in
mates, is slightly larger than foot
ball field in area. While Spectator
recreation may be provided in the
theater-auditorium, there are no in
door facilities whatever for partici-
pating or competitive recreation.
Thus, during at least four or five
months of the year, inmate recreation
must be limited to movie attendance
and whatever diversions might be i'm
provised within the confines of cell.
The classrooms for vocational and |
academic training are part of poorly
lighted, one-time potato cellar.
A DETRIMENT TO "BASIC
CORRECTIONAL AIMS"
To summarize, not single major
physical facility at the Deer Lodge
prison could be described as coming |
I'D to minimum modern standards. |
Much of the prison is so antiquated,
obsolete or limited in size that it is
a positive detriment to basic correc-
,ional aims. Many facilities generally |
accepted as indispensable to modern
prison operation do not exist at the
Montana prison. To extensively repair
Or augment existing facilities would /
De nearly as expensive as building
new ones. To expend much money for
his purpose would be to buttress an
and crumbling institution
hat should be abandoned at the earl
est possible date.
The physical inadequacy of the
,lant is there for even the unprac-
iced eye to see. The cost, both in
wasted human life and state expendi-
ure, is difficult to estimate but GER
ainly real and onerous. While con-
tructive correctional program may
,e begun without new plant and
equipment, it can never be brought to