The Cemetery for the Yuma Territorial Prison is next to the prison on a slight rise above the Colorado River. There were a total of 111 prisoner deaths during the time the prison was in operation. 104 persons, all prisoners, were buried at the cemetery. The Yuma Territorial Prison is located on the Colorado River near downtown Yuma, Arizona. In former times, the Prison was isolated, but today, it is next to a busy transcontinental rail line and an interstate highway. The site is currently maintained as a State Park. This photo shows the annual Gathering of the Gunfighters where actors portray old time shootouts. The first prisoners built their own cells in 1876. A total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women were incarcerated in this prison. Temperatures in the summer are sometimes over 120 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions in the prison were humanely administered and it was a “model” prison during its 30 years of operation. The prisoners had access to regular medical attention and a good hospital. After the prison closed, the building was used for a high school. During the 1920s and later during the Great Depression the building was used to house the homeless.