Degeneration of the facility Montana State Prison

1 degeneration of facility

1.1 buildings
1.2 administration
1.3 prison life
1.4 riots

degeneration of facility

immediately after retirement of warden conley, first in long string of gubernatorial appointees, warden m.w. potter, strove keep prison functioning on cost-effective basis. pardoned significant number of prisoners incarcerated during world war , years of prohibition keep overcrowding minimum , costs down. however, without conley , series of contacts keep prisoners busy, number of extramural work programs dwindled, forcing more inmates return facility. prisoners faced heavily crowded living space not suited house them.

buildings

1932 administration building



industrial complex

only 3 construction projects happened @ prison between 1921 , 1959. first, funded in 1927 $40,000 grant state use in constructing license plate , garment factory inside walls, instead went toward remodeling old territorial building, converting central section administerial offices, 1 wing license plant , other wing garment factory. in 1932, building come down in second construction opportunity inmates—the construction of new administration building. simple, rectangular concrete building bridged gap between older, gothic-style cellblocks , housed administration offices on top floor , dining hall, shoe shop, , laundry in lower floor. 1935 saw last new construction in prison industrial shop complex went parallel north wall, perpendicular 1912 cellblock. building housed prison s new hospital, including infirmary, surgery, dentist s office, psych ward, , doctor s office. in building new license plate factory, moved prison ranch in 1960, , 8 cells, used death row.

meanwhile, institution s existing buildings continued degrade. 1896 cellblock still had no individual plumbing in cells; flush toilet had been installed on ground level, inmates had no access after lights out. lighting in cells insufficient reading; wiring installed @ start of 20th century barely power 25 watt bulb. there no ventilation, wooden roof had not been replaced, , cell doors still unlocked individually. state investigation in 1931 found cellblock disgrace civilization .

the 1912 cellblock in better shape, though still substandard. stifling in summer, when inmates on top tiers throw items through windows create breeze, , freezing in winter, when inmates on bottom tiers drape bottom half of cell doors blankets keep out chill. there 1 shower facility 400 inmates 3 shower heads; 1 rinse, 1 soap, , third final rinse. prisoners step under these 1 @ time in single-file line.

administration

in addition outdated facilities, guard staff underpaid, undertrained, , insufficient manage ever-increasing number of inmates. guards @ montana state prison during period of lowest paid correctional officers in united states, ranked 115 out of 120 state , local institutions. median salary $1200 per year, national average $2000. there no benefits , no pension plan. few wardens of time ran background checks on potential guards, , there no formal training after hire. mid-1950s, 80% of guard staff retirees on age of 55, , in 1957, there 75% turnover of guards. in order staff keep order in prison, re-institution of auburn system came play, keeping inmates quiet, obedient, , segregated.

the succession of wardens added low morale of both guards , prisoners. appointed governor of montana pliability, ease of placement, , political stature, wardens of prison had law enforcement experience, , none had penal institution experience. unfortunately, due conley s aggressive control of facility, of administration of prison rested in hands of warden, including hiring , firing of guards, requests new building permits state, , of parole functions of institution. in fact, parole board not instituted until 1955. many of wardens, a.b. middleton, tried better facility, did failed. middleton, held position 1925 1937, oversaw new construction, did little ease strain of overpopulation , low morale. possibly least effective warden hold office faye o. burrell, warden 1953 1958. burrell had been ravalli county sheriff before tenure, , man prided himself on frugality. state increased funding prison during time, burrell decreased implementation of funds, allowing money slated updating facilities go general state funds. wardenship of prison weathered 2 riots, , resigned under heavy controversy.

prison life

since conley s theory of reform based heavily on manual labor, had spent little time , money on things education , vocational training. in 1920s, prison library means of inmate education; classes being taught boiled down english-speaking instruction immigrant inmates. library itself, donated william clark before 1920, outdated, contained light fiction, , had been stringently censored prison officials. far vocational training concerned, conley had dealt prison blow removing personal equipment warehouse, garage, , machine shop; since contract specified buildings, grounds, , land belonged state, had populated these important industries own materials further entrench himself within prison. left prisoners industries relating upkeep of prison: laundry, garment construction, maintenance, toy shop (which made toys children in state institutions) , prison band. in 20s, warden of prison took on role of registrar of motor vehicles , obtained permission inmates manufacture license plates.

a cell in cellblock 1

the jobs available prisoners few; between 1930 , 1960, 200 inmates out of population averaging 550 had do. in 1940s , 50s, prisoners spent twenty-two hours day in cells. industries available managed not civilians or guards, but, due shortage of staff @ prison, system of inmate overseers. called con-bosses, these privileged inmates had complete control on areas, reserving right choose inmates worked under them, how work received, , had receive work @ all. since work meant not other sit in cell time earned off sentence, system led rampant corruption, favoritism, , ill-feelings among prisoners, since con-bosses sold positions or used them leverage number of illicit favors.

the onset of great depression flooded prison new inmates, , montana state further curtailed use of inmate labor provide jobs civilians. in blow prisoners, in 1934, state prohibited sale of convict-made goods civilians. prisoners had no legitimate, worthwhile industries keep busy, , exacerbate situation further, of prison yard within walls had been converted vegetable garden, eliminating exercise pastime.

riots

the mismanagement, insufficient guard staff, , intolerable living conditions led 3 riots in late 1950s. first riot, called pea riot, took place on 30 july 1957 when members of prison band refused pick peas in garden prison yard. temperature hot, , band members used being left alone, if not coddled, prison staff. 1 member flatly refused order, won him time in hole. other members decided work, after 1 member flicked pea @ another, job turned foliage-destroying free-for-all. destructive attitude in garden infected rest of prison, , inmates rushed cellblocks take part in destruction. guards on duty overrun , locked cells. standoff between prisoners , government officials, including attorney general forrest anderson , 200 national guardsmen, lasted 24 hours. warden, faye o. burrell, out of town, taking delivery of inmate indiana had escaped years earlier. prisoners clamored better conditions, better food, better mail service, , firing of benjamin w. wright, man in charge of montana s relatively new parole system. anderson offered eight-point program sated prisoners, , retreated cells without bloodshed. upon burrell s return, however, revoked program drawn anderson, claiming had not, , not, negotiate convicts.

the second riot, in response warden burrell having ignored anderson s eight-point program, happened on 27 january 1958. during tour of prison montana council on corrections, inmates instigated twenty-four-hour sit-down strike in refused report work, ignored orders guards, , loitered cell house corridors. warden burrell ordered lights , heat turned off, which, in january, meant many hours of frigid darkness. cold, hungry inmates returned cells and, punishment, week refused mail , access canteen purchase cigarettes, candy, , other sundries.