The Rights of Institutionalized Americans
Contexts and Histories of Incarceration, Internment, and Institutionalization in Montana
Zoom in for a snapshot of locations with significance to incarceration in the state of Montana!
Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT, c. 1941; Source: K. Ross Toole Archives
Citizen Aliens: WII Internment and Incarceration at Fort Missoula
1924
The Johnson-Reed Act is passed by Congress, establishing the "Asiatic Barred Zone" and restricting naturalization access for east Asian immigrants. Japanese nationals living in the US are thus ineligible for citizenship and its associated rights.
December 7, 1941
The Japanese Empire executes a bombing raid on the Pearl Harbor naval base, sparking brewing tensions and leading to the US declaration of war against Japan. In the hours immediately following the attack, thousands of Japanese nationals living in the US are arrested and detained without probable cause. These and many more would be forcibly interned in camps in the coming weeks and months.
February 19, 1942
President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, beginning the forced removal of Japanese Americans (with American citizenship) and their incarceration in camps across the US.
1944
Resident aliens interned at Fort Missoula are released. While many Italians decide to remain at "Bella Vista", the Japanese attempt to reconnect with family members dispersed throughout the western states. Many return home to find vandalized, stolen, or unusable property--forced to relocate and begin life anew.
Display cards in the Mansfield Library
From left to right: Polished and painted stone; internment barracks foundation at Fort Missoula; Italian internees play futebol (soccer) at Fort Missoula; T-1 Courthouse restored
Indigenous Boarding Schools in Montana and Beyond
Resource Map: Boarding Schools in Montana (credit: Chloe Runsbehind)
Display cards in the Mansfield Library
"Quotation Cards" produced by the displaced indigenous students of Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Incarcerated firefighters fight wildfires in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming.
Prison Labor Inequities in Montana
Display cards at the Mansfield Library
Injury logs generated by the California Prison Industry Authority show that incarcerated workers reported more than 600 injuries over a four-year period, including body parts strained, crushed, lacerated, or amputated.
How megacorporations exploit US prison labor, Source: YouTube, TheRealNewsNetwork
Issue of Inner Voices, a literary periodical by Montana State Prison inmates; Source: K. Ross Toole Archives and Special Collections at the Mansfield library
Voices Through Bars: Past Record and Present Rigors in Prison Journalism, Libraries, and Literacy
Display cards at the Mansfield Library
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
US Prison Libraries and their Statistics according to the American Library Association
