Yum The Impact Of The Country Club On The Colorado

In 1875 construction began on the most luxurious and only prison in Arizona at the time before the building of the Florence prison by the first seven prisoners. Due to those seven prisoners construction help the prison was able to be in operation for 33 years,having over 3,000 men and women serve their time. This newly built prison was called the “Yuma Territorial Prison” aka the “Country Club on The Colorado” However the Yuma Territorial Prison had a significant impact on Yuma and other surrounding southwest states by allowing Yuma and prisons to boost both economically and physically. Which was done by increasing Yuma’s population/economy,boosting the standards of prisons,and providing Yuma with the needed supplies and influence to redesign/rebuild

Kelly and Jose Maria Redondo or better known as the “Father of the Prison.” These two men both secretly and successfully crossed out Phoenix’s name on the construction plans and put Yuma on as the destination of the prison just minutes before approval ensuring the little known Yuma a place on the map. But on September 15,1909 the prison was put out of operation and forced to send existing prisoners to the newly built prison in Florence,Arizona due to overcrowding. However in the 33 years the prison was in operation it brought so much to Yuma and to this day still does. Nevertheless without the Territorial Prison Yuma and their community along with surrounding states wouldn't have been able to have the amount of exposure that they had to boost their

Some of which led the way for today’s prison standards. After all the prison just didn't get the name, “The Country Club on the Colorado” for any reason. This model prison was thought to be top of the line in 1893. So top of the line that the people thought that the prisoners had it easy. Which was true to most people in the community didn't have anything more than the prisoners did besides their freedom. Even more so a lot of the people in Arizona didn't even have the luxuries that prisoners in the Territorial Prison were provided. Some of which were running water,toilets,electricity,air ventilation,and sewer systems. Or even three good beef meals a day. But one of the biggest things that no one in Arizona had was a library. The states only library was created and furnished with 2,500 books by the prisons superintendents wife. Who had raised money by charging people to visit with the prisoners. But still that wasn't the only thing that she did to help make the Territorial Prison such an honorable prison. Throughout her years living at the prison she believed in lifting up the prisoners instead of putting them down. So she decided to change the way that prisoners were treated by treating them like any other person. One of the main ways this was done was by making sure they were more educated when they left the prison. There for she decided to start a tutoring