Yuma Prison

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The Yuma Territorial Prison held over three thousand prisoners over the thirty-three years in operation. The first seven prisoners built the prison with their own hands and were then moved into the cells. Yuma was the ideal place to hold criminals since it was surrounded by absolutely nothing but desert and had scorching hot temperatures. The territorial prison benefited the town of Yuma and was also used as a model for prisons built after its closing. This paper consists of a description of the Yuma Territorial prison, an assessment of the historical significance, explanation of the limitations of sources, facts about the prisons perfect location, prisoner punishment and thoughts of townspeople on the prison
The Yuma Territorial Prison has historical significance because it was the first place in Yuma to have amenities such as electricity and flushing toilets. The prison was a model prison for others in the future and the system handled its prisoners very well. The prison was made of adobe and rock, which probably made the prison cooler in the summer; that was something that the townspeople didn't have and they had to suffer when the prisoners were nice and cool. After a flood in 1916 the people of Yuma came to the prison to get different materials that they needed to rebuild the town. Another thing that the prison is a big part of history for is that the local high school needed a facility in which to hold class, so the classes were held in the prison hospital. Many parents were upset about this, but it did the job very well for them. All of the Yuma High School teams are named the “Criminals” because of the early association with the prison.
The prison began to be built in 1875 and most of the construction was d...

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... then I would have also had more time to research the prison. The packet of information benefited my paper very much, but doing research on the websites was very difficult because they were advertising more than giving me information.
I believe the Yuma Territorial Prison has a very big impact on the town of Yuma and it will remain that way for a very long time. Having the prison in Yuma gives the town a background many other places do not have. The prison allowed the town to advance as a whole and it was a home to many people in need. The prison not only impacted the community of Yuma but also impacted the prisoners lives by giving them a place to learn, read, and receive medical help. Despite the negative effects and the fact it helped criminals, I believe that Yuma would not be the place it is today without having the prison located in the town in the 1800s.

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