On July 1, 1876, the first seven inmates entered the Territorial Prison at Yuma and were locked into the new cells they had built themselves. At Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park walk through the actual strap iron cells and solitary chamber of Arizona Territory’s first prison. Now a museum, the building houses photographs and colorful exhibits of those who once “involuntarily” stayed there and the prison life they had to endure. A total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, lived within the walls during the prison’s 33 years of operation. Despite an infamous reputation, written evidence indicates that the prison was humanely administered, and was a model institution for its time. The only punishments were the dark cells for inmates who broke prison regulations, and the ball and chain for those who tried to escape. The park offers a museum with exhibits, a gift shop, video presentation, picnic area, and restrooms. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Arizona State Parks strongly believes that social media is a tool for consumers and communities to receive updates. We encourage interaction and discussion on any of our posts. We believe firmly that social media must be a safe space for all participants to engage in full and fair dialogue. All posters are encouraged to agree or disagree on any positions on any of our social media outlets. We remind individuals who post, that children, youth and families have access to all of these posts and we want to maximize participation that is free from intimidation or bullying. Name-calling, intimidation or bullying of other social media participants will never be tolerated. Abusive, excessively disruptive and harassing posts will also be considered prohibitive of the fair and safe space we intend to maintain. Posts with unrelated information or political agendas will be removed. We will monitor communications and take appropriate action in order to ensure that these policies are consistently adhered to.
