Show Prison Project Stalls TAH'S hopes for a modern modem penitentiary to top p replace the wholly inadequate and ou outdated institution In ution at the otherwise inviting ing residential Sugarhouse section have been dampened to some extent tent by the discovery that there here are no funds lunds t for r construction The state legislature has given all assurances assurances assur assur- I ances possible that the new new prison will be provided provided pro pro- i vi vided ed has appropriated money for a committee on prison site selection and other necessary preliminaries pre pre- r but none for the building of the necessary necessary sary ary structures Much of this preliminary work has been done and Governor Henry H. H Blood has as asked the site committee to speed up its work and submit a report The time for undertaking this work as a public public pub pub- lic lie lic works project expires with the end of of the year but more pressing and important is the ii ct that S September 30 little more than a month away way i is the d deadline adline for a grant of P W A funds fund on a guarantee by the state that the work will go forward to conclusion Upon final authorization authorization z tion federal funds will be forthcoming forthcoming but but wh where re is the state to find the additional financing financing financing ing required as its share of the cost Governor Blood g gave gave ve some encouragement I Friday when he instructed S. S W. W Stewart chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man man of the committee authorized by the legislature legislature legislature legis legis- lature to speed its work Confessing that he had no idea where the needed state funds might be found he said he would put forth al all en energy to find a means of financing The inference is is' t that at he feels there is still a prospect of success in this direction S As vAs the most important single enterprise af affecting affecting af- af 5 the interests of the people of the entire S state ways and means of carrying it out under x S f the advantageous terms of a P W W. W A pr project must be found There is not time t to have it wait waitS S S upon the co convening of the next legislative ve ses session session ses' ses ses- ses S. S sion in 1939 By taking advantage of of a a. P P- PW W A Af AS S f grant the taxpayers of the state will be saved S 5 a a. a material outlay labor now idle will be put to toS S work and business will benefit from the distribution distri distri- S b Uon of payrolls and from local purchases of S construction materials and supplies The he story of the shortcomings of the old prison has been told so often it should be un unnecessary unnecessary unnecessary un un- I necessary to repeat it The most important fact factS S S is that it affords no facilities for carrying on a r proper penal program for segregation of hardS hardened hardened hard hard- S ened criminals from first and youths for forS S efforts to reclaim those for whom the p possibility ssi- ssi S exists for the detention of the criminally S insane for overcoming the curse of idleness for inmates or for the incarceration of women conS con con- S Utah now has to send its women women to Colorado CobS Colorado Colo Cob S rado institutions on a contract basis The state prison now is fitted in no way to toS to S play its part in crime prevention or control nor 6 is it even a safe place of c confinement In every i. i c respect it casts shame sham upon the state as it is isS S S continued in service There are many other S equally imperative reasons why it should be removed from its present location to a site where a modern prison plant ma may be installed Governor Blood is entitled to the interest of the people of Utah in in exploring the possibilities S of finan financing ing the project There may be individuals individual individuals ual who can be of man manifest est aid to him as he heS attacks the problem Should he call S upon anyS anyone anyone anyone any any- S one for assistance it should be cheerfully given givenS given'S S 'S a as a demonstration of constructive citizenship and willingness ss to meet a civic responsibility |