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Show Committee Reports on State Prison Declaring that under present conditions at the state prison in Sugar House it is useless to . hope for' adequate community security, reformation, and rehabilitation, re-habilitation, the governor's spe- cial investigating committee recommended rec-ommended Tuesday that Warden War-den Mason W. Hill be discharged dis-charged immediately. Meeting at the state Capitol Monday night, the committee adopted a report calling Warden Hill's record "far from impressive." impres-sive." The committee also, called for earliest possible completion of the Point-of-the-Mountain penitentiary; pen-itentiary; suggested land at the Sugar House prison site be sold at profit; blasted lack of discipline disci-pline and lack of educational facilities; called the present prison pris-on "deplorably dirty." "Developments of the last six months demonstrate that adequate ade-quate care of prisoners is an emergency of the first order," the committee reported. Lack of Discipline The statement referred to the escape of 22 prisoners so far in 1949 and to prison ground incidents in-cidents pointing up lack of .discipline. .dis-cipline. "The key to successful prison administration and prisoner control is a competent, experienced ex-perienced and trained warden. Mason W. Hill's experience in prison administration and prisoner pris-oner control is negligible and his record for successful administration adminis-tration is far from impressive," the report stated. "We recommend his immediate imme-diate discharge." The recommendation came only two days after a personnel shakeup, demanded by the governor, gov-ernor, in which the deputy warden, war-den, prison farm superintendent and three guards were dismissed. dis-missed. Offered to Resign In that same action, Warden Continued on Page 7 Prison - - cont'd from page 1 Hill offered his resignation. It was unanimously refused by the board of corrections. Governor Gov-ernor Lee has consistently declared de-clared himself in support of the warden. The committee called for appointment ap-pointment of a "qualified and experienced man" to replace Warden Hill and urged that the warden's salary be raised to a point comparable with that in like institutions. If necessary a man should be brought in from outside the state to take the position, the committee suggested. Ask Federal Help In the meantime, Utah should request the Federal Bureau of Prisons to send in a man to take over the prison temporarily until un-til a new warden is appointed, it was proposed. While bad discipline, "dirty" conditions and inefficient administration ad-ministration were charged to Warden Hill, the committee also blasted the prison at Sugar House as antiquated and crowded crowd-ed and as a fire trap. It also called for hiring of more guards and securing of adequate med ical and psychiatric services. But while lacking adequate facilities, the warden has failed to take advantage of what opportunities op-portunities he has to provide recreation and useful work for the prisoners, the report continued. con-tinued. While inmates "gamble or sit in idleness," parts of the prison are "deplorably dirty" it was noted. The committee, under chairmanship chair-manship of Sen. Alonzo F. Hopkins state senate president, includes the following members: Adam S. Bennion, The Rev. Robert D. Steele, and Dale R. Curtis. Lewis H. Lloyd is secretary. sec-retary. Although Governor Lee and Utah state prison board of corrections cor-rections members commended the investigating committee for its work and report, they rejected the recommendation concerning Warden Hill.'s removal re-moval from office. While voting to retain Mr. Hill, the board epproved plans to bring an experienced man to the prison as a "consultant aid" to the warden. |