1922 Plans and Illustrations of Prisons and Reformatories
1922 Plans and Illustrations of Prisons and Reformatories
1922 Plans and Illustrations of Prisons and Reformatories
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HENRY W. SAGE
1891
Cornell University Library
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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924015417011
CHAPEL OF NEWSING SING PRISON
Lewis F. Pilcher. Architect
Plans and Illustrations of
Prisons and Reformatories
Collected by
Presented at
NEW YORK
RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION
1922
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Copyright, 1922, by
The Russell Sage Foundation
The New Sing Sing Prison Proposed Plans for a State Prison. By Alfred Hop-
16 45
kins, Architect
The Clinic Building at the New Sing Sing Prison. By Proposed Plan for a Reformatory. By Alfred Hop-
Walter B. James, M.D 16 kins, Architect 46
Psychiatric Classification in Prison. By Lewis F. Pil- Westchester County Penitentiary and Workhouse,
cher, New York State Architect 18 White Plains, N. Y. By Alfred Hopkins, Architect 47
Proposed Plans of the Detroit House of Correction.
The Wingdale Prison. By Lewis F. Pilcher, New York By Albert Kahn, Architect 55
State Architect 27
Reception Cottage at the Hawthorne School (for
Kilby Prison. Preliminary Note. By Hastings H. Hart 30 Delinquent Boys). By Hastings H. Hart 59
Notes on the Design and Construction of Kilby Prison. One-Story Cottage at the Thorn Hill School (for
By Martin J. Lide, Engineer and Architect 31 Delinquent Boys). By Hastings H. Hart 61
List of Illustrations
PAGE PAGE
Chapel of New Sing Sing Prison Frontispiece Caroline Bayard Wittpenn Maternity Cottage,
State Reformatory for Women, Clinton, New
A Skyscraper Jail. A Plan for a Metropolitan Jail .... 9 Jersey. South Elevation 42
Administration Floor Plan 11 —
Maternity Cottage First Floor Plan 43
Typical Cell Floor Plan 13 —
Maternity Cottage Second Floor Plan 44
—
Hospital and Clinics Floor Plan 15
Proposed State Prison. Photograph 45
The New Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York.
—
Proposed State Prison Plan 45
Psychiatric Building 17 Proposed Reformatory Plan 46
Typical Detail of Construction of All Buildings 19 Westchester County, New York, Penitentiary and
—
Outside Cell Building North Elevation 20 Workhouse. General View from Approach 47
Outside Cell Building—First Floor Plan 21 —
Administration Building Entrance Side 48
—
Detention Building First Floor Plan 22 —
Administration Building First and Second Floor Plans 49
—
Detention Building South Elevation 23 Typical Floor Plans of Cell Blocks 50
—
Mess Hall and Kitchen Building Basement 24 Elevations of Corridor and Cell 51
—
Mess Hall and Kitchen Building First Floor 25 Ground Plans of Corridors and Cells 51
Recreation Corridor 52
Wingdale Prison, Wingdale, New York. General
-28
—
Stair Hall Administration Building 53
View View of Mess Hall from Corridor 53
Cell Block Corridor 54
Kilby Prison, Montgomery, Alabama. Front Eleva- Typical Cell 54
tion 30 Detroit House of Correction. First Floor Plan 56
. General Plan 32 Second Floor Plan 57
Administration Building— Floor Plan 33 Third Floor Plan 58
Cell Blocks—Floor Plan 35
Laundry, Bath and Detention Building —Floor Plans. . 36 Hawthorne School (For Delinquent Boys), Haw-
thorne, N. Y. Reception Cottage 59
Connecticut State Farm for Women, Niantic, Con- —
Reception Cottage First Floor Plan 60
necticut. Perspective of Reception Building 38 —
Reception Cottage Second Floor Plan 60
—
Reception Building First Floor Plan 39 Thorn Hill School (for Delinquent Boys), Warren-
—
Reception Building Second Floor Plan 40 —
dale, Pennsylvania. One-story Cottage Floor Plan 61
—
Reception Building Basement Plan 41 One-story Cottage. Photograph 62
;
Introduction
PRISON building has been for the most part jected prisons of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois,
suspended during the past seven years. State but it was found impracticable. Elaborate plans
prisons have been under construction at Belle- were made and published some years ago for a new
fonte, Pennsylvania; Sing Sing, New York; States- Ohio Penitentiary, but building has not com-
ville, near Joliet, Illinois; and Montgomery, Ala- menced and it is understood that the plans will be
bama. Westchester County, New York, has built abandoned or greatly modified. The new state pen-
and Detroit, Michigan, has begun a prison for short itentiary at Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, which is to
term misdemeanants. New York City and the supersede both the Eastern and Western Peniten-
District of Columbia have partially completed re- tiaries and to provide for 4,000 to 5,000 prisoners on
formatories for young men. New reformatories for a farm of over 5,000 acres, was begun ten years ago
women have been established in Arkansas, Cali- but its development was hindered by the war, and
fornia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minne- thus far temporary provision has been made for
sota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Penn- about 500 prisoners. Construction is now proceed-
sylvania, and Wisconsin. Most of them have ing rapidly. The ultimate plans are still in process
adopted cottage plans similar to those of industrial of development.
schools for delinquent girls. them are in
All of The state of Illinois is erecting a great peniten-
process of development.- Most of them have erected tiary,designed by Zimmerman, Saxe and Zimmer-
from one to three new buildings and are making use man, Architects, about six miles from the old prison
of old farmhouses as temporary cottages. site. It is intended to accommodate about 2,000
Comparatively few new county jails have been prisoners. Two cell buildings have been erected,
built. Probably the most notable one built in the each containing 248 cells. The cells are 6}4 feet
past seven years is the Hamilton County Jail in wide, 10 feet 8 inches long and 8 feet high, and are
Cincinnati, which is reported as a modern and model intended to house but one prisoner.
jail, located in the top of the Court House, like the The cell houses are circular, resembling a gas tank
jails in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Oakland, Cali- with a conical roof. They are a practical execution
fornia, and Raleigh, North Carolina. Plans for a of the "Panopticon" proposed by Jeremy Bentham
new county jail system at Chicago for Cook County in the year 1787, a plan of which will be found in
are being worked out by a local committee which Punishment and Reformation, by Dr. Frederick
has retained Dr. George W. Kirchwey, of New York, Howard Wines, page 144. The interior wall of each
as expert adviser. cell is of glass and a central tower enables the guard
From the newer prisons, a selection of note- to keep every prisoner under observation every
worthy plans and illustrations is presented here- moment, day and night. Each cell is well lighted
with. They have been selected with special reference by an exterior window. An elaborate system of
to unusual or improved features, such as modern cell ventilation was installed, but on a recent visit the
houses, clinical laboratories, improved lighting, and writer discovered that the cell houses ventilate
sanitation. The plans selected include state prisons themselves through the outer windows and the sky-
in New York and Alabama and tentative plans for light, and the fans were not in use. It is doubtful
a state prison and a state reformatory; plans for whether a system of perpetual espionage will find
single buildings at two reformatories for women; favor with prison administrators, but the experi-
plans for cottages at two reformatories for boys, and ment is an interesting one.
tentative plans for a metropolitan jail designed by Special efforts were made to obtain the plans of
the writer with special reference to the needs of the new Illinois Penitentiary for this publication,
Chicago. but were unsuccessful.
It was desired to include the plans of the pro- Hastings H. Hart
.
A Skyscraper Jail
Proposed Design for a Metropolitan Jail
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A SKYSCRAPER JAIL
Plan for a Metropolitan Jail Conceived by Hastings H. Hart, President American Prison Association
Designed by Francis Y. Joannes and Maxwell Hyde, Architects
The lower floor represents the Criminal Court Building, which may have any number of stories
COUNTY
prison
jails are
and jail inspectors. They are
officials
schools of crime, according to The county jail ought
institution in the land.
to be the most reformatory
It receives offenders at the
so constructed and conducted that the pris- beginning of their careers, before they have become
oners generally come out far worse than they went in hardened and confirmed criminals. More can be
No metropolitan city of the United States has yet accomplished for the reformation of a young crimi-
succeeded in constructing a satisfactory jail for the nal in the first week of his imprisonment than by six
detention of prisoners awaiting trial. The New months' confinement in a state prison after he has
York City "Tombs" is a gloomy pile, properly de- become a confirmed law-breaker. This was demon-
scribed by its name. The ancient Charles Street strated by John L. Whitman when he was jailer in
Jail of Boston has recently been reconstructed at a the Cook County Jail, where, notwithstanding the
very large expense, but does not meet the needs of most unfavorable conditions,, he did wonders for the
the present day. reclamation of wayward boys and young men.
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
The utter inadequacy of the Cook County Jail The Committee has retained as adviser with refer-
has long been realized by thoughtful people. The ence to the problem Dr. George W. Kirchwey,
jail
Chicago Community Trust, by request of the Board of New York, formerly Dean of Columbia University
of County Commissioners, has made a Cook County Law School, ex-warden of Sing Sing Prison, and a
Jail Survey and has organized a committee of repre- leading expert in penology. He finds all of the evils
sentative Chicago citizens for the purpose of abol- above mentioned and many others —especially that
ishing the old Cook Countyand removing the Jail prisoners are inevitably degenerated in body and
scandal which has disgraced Cook County for more soul by the present conditions; that the Cook
than fifty years. County Jail, like most county jails, instead of being
a preventive, is a prolific source of crime; and that
who do not [have changes of clothing] manage the vocated by Dr. Kirchwey. He agrees with Dr.
best way they can. They may wash their clothes, Kirchwey that women, young prisoners, witnesses,
dry them, and put them on again; they may also and insane persons should be excluded from the
borrow from cell mates. There are only
. . .
county jail and provided for in separate detention
14 shower baths, exclusive of the receiving ward,
for all the men prisoners (population on
. . .
houses. When this is done, however, there will still
the day
of inspection, 546). remain an indefinite number of men, which may be
"One part of the floor space on the dark side of 200, 300, or at times even 500, who must be held in
main cell house of the old jail is screened off for detention awaiting the action of the grand jury or
a hospital ward. There are no windows in this the criminal courts. He believes that suitable pro-
hospital. The air comes from the 'old jail.' It is
lighted always by electric light. The large . . .
vision may be made for these prisoners, in strict
airy hospital on the eighth floor of the 'new jail' is accordance with the principles advocated by Dr.
used only for special cases." Kirchwey, in the manner hereinafter suggested.
10
A SKYSCRAPER JAIL
11
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
Evils to be Remedied and decent detention pending trial and conviction,
The evils in the present Cook County Jail, as but are entitled to be kept under such conditions as
pointed out byDean Kirchwey and his associate, will not impair their health. Physical exercise is
Mr. Winthrop D. Lane, are as follows: indispensable to good bodily health, and we have
yard space for exercise and sep-
First, insufficient now come to recognize that wholesome recreation
aration from the public. The county owns a piece of is equally indispensable to mental and spiritual
ground about 600 feet square on which are located health ; and it is very desirable that both physical
the Criminal Court, the old jail, and the "new jail" exercise and recreation shall be provided, as far as
(built some thirty years ago). To provide a suitable practicable, outdoors.
jailyard with room for exercise would require a space Seventh, lack of clinical and hospital provision.
at least 1,200 feet square; and even with that space The majority of the inmates of our jails are in need
the jail yard must necessarily be dark and be de- of medical, surgical, dental, or psychiatric treat-
prived of the free circulation of air because of the ment. In many cases their unsocial tendencies are
proximity of high buildings. due, in greater or less degree, to these conditions. It
Second, overcrowding, under conditions which is necessary to treat those who come in with com-
make it practically impossible to enlarge the present municable diseases in order to protect the other
plant, with the result of confining two or three men prisoners and to protect the public after their dis-
ineach cell. The jail should be so situated as to charge. It is necessary also (a necessity which is
permit of enlargement at any time without disturb- being recognized increasingly by judges and legis-
ing its general plan. lators) to enlist the psychologist and psychiatrist,
Third, lack of classification. It is generally agreed both for the study and treatment of such prisoners,
that prisoners ought to be divided into classes ac- in order that they may be so dealt with as to con-
cording to age, color, criminal experience, condition serve the public interests.
of health, especially with reference to communicable
diseases, and disposition to attempt escape or inflict
injury upon officers or other prisoners. Such classi- Why Not a Skyscraper?
fication is impossible in a jail of the ancient type While agreeing fully with Dr. Kirchwey that
which characterizes the present buildings. separate and distinct provision entirely apart from
Fourth, enforced association with the worst peo- the county jail must be made for the younger men,
ple to be found in the county. The prisoners are re- for women, insane prisoners, and witnesses; and that
leased from their cells four hours out of the twenty- it is desirable to locate the central jail for the older
four to relieve the bitterness of their confinement male prisoners on a larger tract of ground in a less
under present conditions and to obtain such exer- congested district: if, however, it should be decided
cise as they may by moving about in the crowded for economic reasons, or for the convenience of
corridors. proximity to the Criminal Court, that it is neces-
Fifth, lack of employment. The constitutional sary to build the new jail and Criminal Court on
provision that slavery or involuntary servitude, the present site, the plan set forth in the accom-
except for crime, shall not be permitted within the panying illustrations is proposed by the writer as a
boundaries of the United States is universally con- possible solution of the problem.
strued tomean that unconvicted prisoners cannot It must be borne in mind that the prisoner await-
be compelled to labor. But such prisoners may be ing trial in the county jail is on a different footing
permitted to labor, to their own great benefit; and from the convicted prisoner. The law provides that
the should be so constructed as to make it pos-
jail every person shall be deemed innocent until he is
sible to provide workshops where prisoners may proved guilty, and it is universally recognized that
labor voluntarily at simple employments with the person awaiting trial is entitled to humane
proper compensation. An admirable example of treatment. He is entitledto decent living con-
the possibility of such employmentfound in the
is ditions and as little hardship as is consistent with
Indiana State Prison at Michigan City in the de- his safe-keeping. The theory of the law is that
partment for insane prisoners who formerly stag- the prisoner is not to be punished until he is proved
nated in the insane wards but who are now dili- to be guilty. It has been the practice in this coun-
gently, profitably, and happily employed in a variety try to use the county jails as places of confine-
of simple industries. ment for sentenced prisoners convicted of minor
Sixth, lack of exercise and recreation. These un- offenses, and in most of the county jails these two
convicted prisoners are not only entitled to humane classes of prisoners mingle freely together. Not only
12
A SKYSCRAPER JAIL
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PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
that, but insane prisoners and witnesses, accused of erecting additional stories whenever required, with-
no crime, are often kept in the jails, where they come out change of the administrative departments.
in contact with other prisoners. The arrangement of the building will be such that
The prevailing type of building in Chicago for the cell windows will be about 350 feet distant from
offices, for light manufacturing, for residences, is the windows of the buildings on the street opposite.
the skyscraper. Its adaptability for public pur- These cell windows can be set at any desired dis-
poses is exemplified in the City Hall and Court tance from the floor and the lower sash may be fixed
House Building. In New York City this type of in place and supplied with ribbed glass.
building is being used successfully in the Manhattan
Trade School for Girls, 10 stories high, closely re- Security
sembling an ordinary office building. A roof gar- The lower cells can be used for prisoners who are
den, reached by elevators, provides playgrounds not likely to attempt to escape, and the upper ones
which are used by the pupils in sections at different for those who are recognized as dangerous criminals
hours. The possibility is suggested of adapting this who are likely to escape. There will be a distance
plan of building to the Criminal Court and County of six feet from the top of one window to the bottom
Jail. of the next above, and the windows will be so con-
Let the Criminal Court Building be 400 feet structed as to give the least possible opportunity
square, with interior lighting courts, or in the form for a foothold. The height of the building will be
of a cross, with a frontage of 200 feet on each of the so great as to make escape by means of ropes prac-
four sides. Let the Court House contain as many tically impossible. The outer walls will be illumi-
stories as may be needed: four, five, or six, as the nated at night and four night guards on the roof of
case may be. the Criminal Court Building can keep the entire
Let the County Jail start from the roof of the exterior of the jail in view. The short cell wings
Court House in the form of a cross, of which the will be easily supervised from the central rotundas,
arms will be 90 by 40 feet, with a central rotunda on and the jail elevator will permit of prompt re-
each floor about 60 feet square. enforcement of the guards on the several floors in
Assuming that the Criminal Court Building will case of necessity.
be four stories high (in the drawing a typical build- The sixth floor will be devoted to the clinics and
ing of one story is given in order to indicate the the hospital. There will be provision for medical,
relations of the court building and the jail), the jail surgical, dental, psychologic, and psychiatric clinics
proper will begin on the fifth floor. On this floor with two wards, 32 by 90 feet, for 22 beds each, and
willbe the jailer's offices and residence, the kitchen, a third wing containing 12 single rooms in order to
dining room, officers' lodging rooms, etc.
officers' permit of isolating contagious and infectious cases.
The street elevators and the street stairways will
terminate on the fifth floor and will be connected by Employment and Recreation
a grated and guarded passageway with the jail ele- The ninth floor (the fifth floor of the jail proper)
vator and stairway, which will start from the fifth will contain an auditorium to accommodate 600
floor, in order to prevent escapes. If prisoners were men; four school-rooms, instead of the one school-
to "hold up" the prison elevator, they could get no room in the present Cook County Jail; and four
further than the fifth floor. small shops where prisoners who desire to work
The "typical floor plan" indicates the arrange- may be permitted to do so and to receive their earn-
ment of the cells. Each floor will be separate and ings for themselves or their familiesthese shops to
;
distinct and will contain 100 cells, each 7 by 10 feet be organized on a plan similar to that of the occu-
and 10 feet high, to accommodate one prisoner. pational therapy shop in the Indiana State Prison
The cells will be placed on the outside wall, with at Michigan City. This floor will be 14 feet high
windows 4 by 4 feet, providing abundant light and instead of 10 feet, in order to give head room for the
air. There will be four distinct sections on each auditorium. The auditorium will be located in the
floor, containing 25 cells each. There will be as middle of the building, in order to minimize the
many floors as may be necessary to provide for the stairclimbing of prisoners going to that floor.
highest estimated number of prisoners. The draw- A roof garden will give opportunity for outdoor
ings contemplate six cell floors which would accom- exercise. It will contain four sections, each 32 by 90
modate 600 prisoners, with additional accommoda- feet, which will give opportunity for indoor baseball,
tion for 56 prisoners in the hospital. handball, tennis, walking, and so forth. The ro-
The building will be planned with a view to tunda in the central space will give opportunity for
14
A SKYSCRAPER JAIL
15
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
invalids to get the benefit of fresh air. The prison- do away with overcrowding by providing 600 in-
ers will be divided into sections for exercise on the dividual cells, with provision for adding new cells
roof, coming up
in squads of 50 or more. The roof at any time without modifying the general plan of
garden be enclosed in a strong netting, to
will the building. Third, it will provide abundant classi-
obviate danger of suicides or attempted escapes. fication; there can be 30 separate classes if desired.
The separation of each floor will simplify the Fourth, the evils of promiscuous association can be
problem of heating and ventilation, which will be as prevented by assembling prisoners in small groups,
simple as that of any office building. The division under supervision, on the roof garden and in the
of each floor into four distinct compartments will shops and school-rooms. Fifth, the evils of en-
permit of classification in as many groups of 25 as forced idleness will be obviated by providing shops
may be desired. If there are six floors, there will where prisoners can be employed at simple but
be 27 possible groups. remunerative tasks. Sixth, wholesome recreation
and schools will be provided in place of unwhole-
Present Difficulties Overcome some association and idle brooding. Seventh, the
The plans here submitted will overcome all of the clinics and the hospital will prevent the jail from
"evils" above enumerated as far as it is practicable becoming a breeding-place for disease.
on so small a piece of ground as the present site. Under these conditions the jail will become what
First, it will provide separation from the public, and it ought to be, a humane place of detention for
the roof garden will give opportunity for fresh air persons awaiting trial, bearing in mind that such
and outdoor exercise. The space
be small, but
will prisoners are presumed to be innocent in the eyes of
will be conveniently arranged and can be equipped the law until the courts find them guilty and deter-
with outdoor gymnastic apparatus. Second, it will mine the question of their subsequent treatment.
IS many years since men began to realize that it presents an analogous problem to society, and
IT were not the result of a divine
'their diseases that it should be attacked in the same manner, that
purpose, and so they have attempted, first, to is, through scientific analysis and classification, the
understand their origin, through study and analy- discovery of causes, probably very complex, and the
sis, and then from these to discover means of pre- application of remedies, probably chiefly preven-
vention and cure. As a result of these efforts, the tive, and based upon these causes. Only in this way
prolongation of human life has more than doubled, can it be hoped to turn this costly waste product of
and the disease and suffering rate has markedly social life into a useful by-product.
diminished and is still diminishing.
To-day, resignation and patient submission in the A New Policy
presence of disease of the body are no longer vir- When the "Sage Prison Bill" became a law, pro-
tues. Mental disease has only more recently been viding for the demolition of the old Sing Sing cell
looked at from this same viewpoint, and gratifying block and the erection there of a new study, classi-
headway is being made in this direction. The world fication and distributing prison, and creating the
is just beginning to realize that misbehavior or "State Commission on New Prisons," New York
anti-social behavior presents to society a problem State committed a new and more intelligent
itself to
somewhat similar to that of physical and mental policy toward its offenders and toward the whole
disease. problem of misbehavior. The new commission,
I do not mean that misbehavior is necessarily the commanded to carry out the above and other pro-
result of or associated with disease, either physical visions, soon found itself confronted by problems
or mental, although this is often the case, but that that belonged essentially to modern medical science,
16
THE NEW SING SING PRISON
17
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
and it turned to the " National Committee for Men- is the Clinic Building, in which the studyand classifi-
tal Hygiene" for counsel, and an advisory medical cation of the prisoners is and in which,
to take place,
committee was formed. About a year before this, as well, the general medical and surgical work of the
realizing the need of a more thorough psychiatric institution will be carried on. It provides for the
study of criminals along the lines that had been complete physical and mental examination of every
followed so well by Dr. Healy at the Juvenile De- inmate. It contains the hospital wards, dispensary,
tention Home in Chicago, the National Committee operating rooms and laboratories and X-ray plant,
had placed Dr. Bernard Glueck in Sing Sing Prison, and indeed, it corresponds on a small scale to the
with the consent and sympathy of the Department hospital of any community, but differs from this in
of Prisons, to carry out a complete mental analysis that it assumes that the whole population of the
of allnew admissions. community may be abnormal, and therefore re-
The results of Dr. Glueck's studies have been quires that every member of it shall at some time
published in full in "Mental Hygiene" and else- pass through the clinic for purposes of study and
where, and form a valuable foundation for the analysis. For this reason, the psychiatric or mental
scientific handling of the mental side of prisoners. division of the clinic is relatively more accentuated.
The commission and the state were fortunate in It requires courage to attack such a problem as
having Mr. Pilcher, the New York State Architect, this, an attack that may carry us into troublesome
to translate these ideals into actual construction, social fields. It seems to be a fact, however, that
and the completion of an important part of the no other method gives promise of relieving society
plans, including the Clinic Building, and, most of any considerable part of this burden of suffer-
of all, the final assigning of the contract for the ing and cost. We must not expect ever to be en-
erection, insured the carrying out of this interesting tirely rid of thisburden, just as we shall never be
and important project. rid of the burden of physical and mental disease;
but just as science has diminished and is still di-
minishing these latter, so we have reason to believe
The Clinic Building that similar scientific methods, properly applied,
Mr. Pilcher has thrown himself into the under- will diminish the burden of anti-social behavior, and
taking with singular diligence and intelligence, and help us to approach the irreducible minimum, a
has entered thoroughly into the spirit of modern minimum which must probably always exist in a
scientific treatment and research. human world like ours, but a minimum from which
The newest and most original feature of the prison we are at present still very far.
COMMERCIAL efficiency is determined by use, and measured, not by the development of model
the use of the by-products of manufacture. prisoners enchained securely behind bastioned walls,
Prisoners are by-products of society. but by returning to society decent citizens.
The modern enterprise that used to discard as In the past the achievement of positive human
waste the by-products of its plant now aims to results has been seemingly impossible to obtain.
reduce its overhead and better its system by re- The chief reason for this failure was due to the in-
turning to the community in usable form that which evitable clash between institutional and political,
in past times had been considered as lost and un- interests that always arose and rendered abortive
available material. Is it not true that the criminal the many attempts that have been made to treat
has been for the most part considered in the past successfully the complex questions of crime and
as an irreclaimable waste of society, his progress punishment.
toward a better life inhibited by being held in the
strait-jacket of strictly materialistic institutional Individualization
management and maintenance? As in the case of Any betterment procedure must be in the direc-
manufacturing concerns so in the modern penal sys- tion of individualization. The modern prison, peni-
tem, its success will be determined by the economic tentiary, jail or reformatory should embody in their
18
THE NEW SING SING PRISON
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THE NEW SING SING PRISON
respective organizations the function of scientific him, but shapes his mental attitude toward his en-
study of the individual prisoner and this should — vironment. Thus, it is obvious that the housing
be made the fundamental element of the entire cor- problem, touching as does every phase of the life
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ments of the individual prisoner. The source of the tary code. Structural safety and physical security
prisoner's particular being, life, is a dynamic pro- and health are provided for all classifications of
cess; and every contact the individual makes human activities under the maturely established
throughout life not only leaves its impression on provisions of that code.
21
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neers or contractual experts —
men who have actu-
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22
THE NEW SING SING PRISON
cally treated, and, if possible, given work that will removed, the prisoner is lodged in a classification cell
enable him to direct his minimal capacity so as to on the first floor, to await his turn for examination
exempt him from purely custodial care. in the rooms provided for that purpose on the second
The construction and location of the buildings at floor. When the examiner is ready for him, he is
Sing Sing mean much more, therefore, than the taken upstairs to be photographed, weighed, finger-
mere erection of a series of large prison buildings printed and generally "Bertilloned," and is then
for the detention of those who have violated the sent across the hall to be given a preliminary exam-
laws of the State. It ination for the deter-
will exist as a twen- mination of his gen-
tieth century prison eral physical condi-
elixir, which will take tion. This over, he is
The Registration
Building
Besides containing
IT.Va 1 the general Adminis-
prison grounds, tration Offices, the
Court Officer con- Bureau of Registra-
ducts him to the ar- tion and the Record
room in the base-
rival Bureau the Registra-
ment of the Registra- DETENTION BUILDING tion Building will in-
storage. He is then led to the baths, situated across was a difficult one for prison authorities, as it
the hall from the property room. After being was practically impossible while allowing prisoners
thoroughly bathed, and subjected to a hasty medi- a reasonable amount of freedom for the discus-
cal inspection, clean prison clothes are provided. sion of private and confidential matters to pre-
Then, contagion from outside sources having been vent the transfer of weapons, liquors, drugs and
23
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
L
-BASE/AE/IT
T PU/1—
FLOOt PL
24
THE NEW SING SING PRISON
25
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
implements of escape. This difficulty, however, we The fourth floor contains a complete operating
think, has now been successfully solved through the department with two operating rooms, one for major
following arrangement: Two parts of a large room and the other for minor operations, each having
are separated by two wire nettings, so placed that separate sterilization facilities, together with prepa-
they form an enclosed passage six feet in width, and recovery rooms, while the re-
ration, etherizing
where guards can be stationed to prevent any mainder of the floor is given up to rooms for the
attempt to pass articles to the prisoners without, male nurses and a convalescent solarium.
at the same time, interfering in the carrying on of a
conversation. A Training School for Nurses
In addition to using the building as a clinical hos-
pital for the housing of psychiatric and medical re-
The Temporary Detention Building
quirements of the prison, it is also planned to use
("No. 5")
it as a school for the education of male nurses, as
Adjacent to the Registration Building, and on the
it is found that efficiency in prison nursing is di-
same high plateau overlooking the Hudson, is the
rectly proportional to the nurse's understanding of
Temporary Detention Building, with cell rooms on and psychiatric
the relation of scientific, medical
separate floors, so arranged as to place the prisoners
knowledge to the peculiar problems of a prison com-
under the constant supervision of the clinical ex-
munity.
perts,who will conduct their examinations in the
The entire Sing Sing project includes kitchens,
adjoining Clinic Building.
dining rooms, library, school, vocational shops, rec-
reation hall, roads, walks, a modern sewage plant,
The Clinical Laboratory a power house to heat and light the many buildings
The was developed under a
clinical laboratory and to operate the industrial plants, and a church
medical commission composed of: Dr. Walter B. for the development of religious and community
James, Presidentof the New York Academy of Medi- ideals.
cine; Dr. Charles W. Pilgrim, Chairman, New York In addition to the proper placing and co-ordina-
State Hospital Commission; Dr. Thomas W. Sal- tion of the structures and their component parts,
mon, Director of the National Committee for Mental and the abolishment of unsanitary conditions in the
Hygiene; Dr. G. H. Kirby, Director of the Psychi- interiors, by the architectural treatment of build-
atric Institute of the State of New York; Dr. Isham ings and site, a great step forward has been taken
G. Harris, Superintendent of the Brooklyn State in the creating of a proper and fitting atmosphere
Hospital; Dr. Carlos F. MacDonald, Alienist, and and environment. The old idea of the ugly, heavy
Dr.W. F. Brewer, Surgeon. Provision has been made barred and broken walls, which produced the dis-
on the first floor for a modern X-ray apparatus and mal, forsaken, isolated and jail-like appearance of
itsvarious accessories three rooms for the physician
; former prisons, has been discarded. In their places
in charge of the venereal examinations; a surgical will be many-windowed, substantial brick struc-
laboratory; rooms fitted for the examinations of the tures, extending from the river to the plateau in the
eye, ear and throat, psychiatric and psychological rear of the elevated site, in dignified and well-pro-
examining room, dental operating room and lab- portioned stages.
oratory, and a laboratory for the use of the staff The causes which formerly created in prisoners
working in the diagnosis and examination rooms. and hopeless
the feeling of being entombed, useless
On the second floor is a quantitative and qualita- exiles have been done away with. It is our hope
tive laboratory; a museum, a recording room, a li- that ideals of respectability, industry, efficiency and
brary and lecture rooms, and on the third floor are co-operation will arise from these new prison con-
surgical wards, subdivided for major and minor op- ditions and make strong, beneficial and lasting im-
erative cases, medical wards, so
together with pressions on the mind of each prisoner.
planned as to have ordinary and chronic medical It is only by such utilization of the experiences
cases in separate divisions. The hospital is to be in allied fields and their thoughtful application to
freely used for detailed observation as well as for prison conditions that progress may be hoped for
treatment. in solving this important human problem.
26
The Wingdale Prison
By Lewis F. Pilcher, New York State Architect
(Reprinted by permission from the American Architect of January 28, 1920)
a good architectural result combined with these Thus in the low grade level of the atrium the
essential reforms. In order that these aims may be light, the air, and freedom of movement suggested
fully understood, I shall attempt to explain both the that lack of function and freedom from formal life
architectural plan of this new prison and the rea- which exists among the multitudes; the conscious
sons for selecting a sloping rather than a level effort of ascent in walking from the atrium to the
topographical site. hypostyle hall suggested the difficulties of rising
from a lower to a higher social order, while the
Architectural Precedents further ascent to the small, calm and dimly illumi-
If one surveys the history of civilization and nated holy-of-holies symbolized the fact that only
investigates the growth and final results of the through struggle, loneliness and pain may a de-
structural plan of either religious or civil com- vout one hope to attain the quiet and sublime
munities, it is at once apparent that the final hous- dwelling place of the gods.
ing scheme of any given settlement is determined When the Greeks rose to intellectual and artistic
by the topography of the region of its location. position they evolved the Greek form of temple,
For example, the study of the settlements of which was simply an Hellenic translation, through
antiquity shows that the higher locations were the medium of the Mosaic temple, of the Egyptian
universally chosen as the sites of palaces and hieratic imagery. Perhaps the most typical of
temples, and that where the configuration of land these temples is the great marble Parthenon (438
did not permit of such natural elevation, mounds B. C.) which was reared upon a three-stepped
or raised crepidomas were constructed, in order crepidoma, a worthy stylobate support, a marvelous
that by means of the terraced elevations a distinc- peristyle, reminiscent of the open air atrium of
tion might be made between the different degrees its Egyptian prototype. Further on, and beyond
of religious prominence. the peripteros, and at a higher level, the pronaos
That the Egyptians who inhabited the level areas led through a great door into the shrine chamber
of the alluvial Nile appreciated the psychological of Athena. Thus did the architects, Ictinus and
27
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
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tects built lofty zekkurats in order to provide high clear that the old system of plotting ah entire prison
substructures for the crowning cella or shrine, and plan on an absolutely level piece of ground does not
these lofty, temple-capped pyramids had a ma- agree with either the teachings of history or the
terialistic as well as a spiritual value in that they psychological principles which determine the site of
helped to form in the minds of the people an ideal community housing, and it thus becomes manifest
as to the position in the community of both tem- that if we are to plan a prison which will be both a
poral and spiritual power. protection and a benefit to society we must select
To the north, at Khorsabad, a city of Assyria, the our site and construct our plans with the idea of
rulers constructed, as part of the great wall, an having different grades of elevation for different
enormous plateau. This artificial mound, towering degrees of social eminence.
as it did some sixty feet above the level of the city, If, remembering this, we summon practical expe-
was used as a place of residence for the king and his rience to our aid we find that a prison population
court, while back of it, and so high that it bathed divides itself naturally into three major divisions,
the plateau with its shadows, was constructed the two of which are composed of actual inmates and
many-stepped, cella-crowned temple of the priests. a third of those in authority over them. The first
Thus religion looked down upon royalty and roy- and largest of these groups is made up of sub-
alty, in turn, on its walled city with its level streets normals and general recalcitrants who of necessity
and multitudinous inhabitants, and thus in this must work, eat, and sleep under constant and direct
segregated and self-sufficient community a natural supervision. These will be confined in strong, well-
and unwitting psychological arrangement of class guarded buildings situated within a walled enclosure
housing was worked out by these early architects. and the work which they do will be such as can be
This same community phenomenon which we efficiently done within the comparatively small
have noted in the Orient existed at the same time space to which, they are restricted.
at Mycenae, Thyrns, Argos, Attica and Rome, The second group, composed of prisoners who
the heights being always occupied by the rulers, the have shown themselves worthy of trust, will be
foot-hills by the nobles and the adjacent plains by allowed privileges which are denied the first. A
the people. concrete expression of these privileges will consist
By these few examples taken from the religious of lodging them in buildings situated on a higher
and civil architecture of early civilization I have leveland with no enclosing walls, thus allowing
endeavored to show that class distinction tends to them to carry on dairying, farming, stone crushing
express itself through the use of different housing and similar industries.
levels, the height of each group being directly pro- As the working out of our community idea de-
portional to the power of its social division, thus mands that the governing class occupy a higher site
giving a concrete expression to the theoretical than those they govern, we have planned an adja-
grades by which the human mind differentiates the cent but higher elevation for the offices, dwellings
social status of the people who comprise any given and other buildings necessary for the proper main-
group. tenance of a model prison.
In our plan for the new Wingdale Prison we have
Application to Wingdale attempted to express a prison which will meet the
Ifwe apply this rather pragmatic psychology to scientific and historic precedents which we have at
the problem of planning a new prison, we find it our command, and we fully believe that our plan
obvious at the outset that a prison population will exert as beneficial an influence on our prisoners
forms, together with its dependencies, a complete as did the noble monuments on the Acropolis at
segregated community and therefore presents few Athens on the humble people who constructed their
phases which have not been successfully solved in mud-brick houses at its base.
29
Kilby Prison The — New Alabama
Penitentiary Near Montgomery
Preliminary Note
By Hastings H. Hart, LL.D.
Kilby Prison is designed essentially as an indus- It will be noted from the ground plan that the
trial prison. There are about 3,000 State convicts administration building is in front of the prison on
in Alabama. The labor of the majority of these the outside of the walls. Thus all free office em-
heretofore has been leased out, principally to mining ployees work outside the prison. The administra-
and lumber corporations. The State is poor in tion building is a one-story building of brick and
revenue and backward in education. It is, there- concrete. Connecting the Administration Building
fore, essential that these convicts be put to pro- with the cell house is a corridor flanked on either
ductive work in order that they may be at least side by rooms whose purposes are set forth in the
self-sustaining. By act of the Legislature the leas- ground plan drawing.
ing of convicts must cease
after January, 1924. In
order to receive these convicts from the mines and
lumber camps and to place them into productive Main Cell House
work this prison is being constructed. The main cell house is a monolithic concrete
As will be noted from the ground plat, the prison, structure veneered with brick and with cement tile
exclusive of the administration building, is con- roof laid on steel purlins. All cells and walkways
tained within a surrounding walled enclosure. The are of concrete. The cell house contains five tiers of
wall is about 20 feet high, 12 inches thick at the top, cells, the being composed of single
first tier man
and 20 inches thick at the bottom, and sits on a cells and the remaining four tiers of five or six man
concrete mat 6 feet wide. At the four corners of the cells. The single man cells are 7 feet wide, 8}4 feet
wall are concrete guard towers, and on one side there high, and 10 feet deep, and the multiple man cells
is a lock gate 120 feet long, equipped with steel are of the same height and depth, but are 22 feet
doors suspended with rollers. The walls are 1,000 wide. The rows of cells are separated by a 15-foot
feet long at the front and are 1,200 feet long on the corridor with an open well in the center and with
sides. The wall is constructed in sections 30 feet 3 feet 6 inches walkways in front. Every cell has
long. Expansion is taken care of by the construc- one or more windows which are screened, barred
tion joints. During cool weather these joints were with tool-proof steel guards, and equipped with
painted with tar, the thickness of the coating de- counterbalanced steel sash. The cell building is so
pending on the temperature at the time of the pour- constructed that the multiple man. cells may be con-
ing. The concrete aggregate was mixed in the pro- verted into single man cells at any time in the
portion of 1 : 2 : 4 parts of cement, sand, and gravel, future. Toilets and lavatories are provided for each
the sand and gravel being mined on the property by cell. Forty-eight-inch roof ventilators are mounted
the State. At the top of the wall four strands of on the cell house at 15-foot intervals. These venti-
barbed wire are mounted, alternate strands being lators also have fans mounted in them, the fans be-
charged to a potential of 6,600 volts, and the other ing driven by a common line shaft from a motor in
strands being grounded. The connections to these the attic. By means of these fans it will be possible
strands are such that in case the charged wire is to completely ventilate the cell house at intervals,
either cut or short circuited, an electric siren will the air being drawn in from the windows and dis-
blow. charged from the roof.
31
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
As will be noted from the plans, large day-rooms cell house is a corridor flanked on either side by
or school-rooms separate the two wings of the cell rooms whose purposes are explained on the ground
house. These rooms are located on the second and plan. The corridor connects with a concrete and
tresmr o
third floors. These rooms will be used for religious steel building in the rear, one wing of which will be
purposes, as school-rooms, and for rest-rooms dur- used as a detention cell house and punitive cell
ing rainy Sundays and holidays. In the rear of the house and the other wing as a utility house.
32
KILBY PRISON
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33
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
Detention Cell House The mess hall will also be used temporarily as an
The detention cell house is two tiers high and auditorium for speakers and picture shows. On the
contains 60 single man cells, each 6 by 10 feet, and opposite wing from the mess hall is the kitchen,
S}4 feet high. These cells are otherwise similar to which will be equipped with steam cooking equip-
the single man cells in the main cell house. As may ment. In the rear of the kitchen is the cold storage
be inferred from the designation, the detention cell plant, consisting of vegetable, meat and ice storage
house will be used as a clearing-house for all new rooms, and a complete refrigerating plant. In the
State convicts. All new convicts will be sent here rear of the mess hall is a covered concrete walk
for a quarantine period of ten days to two weeks. connecting same with the power plant. This walk
During this period the new convict will be given a is of permanent construction, with cement tile roof.
careful mental, moral, and physical examination, The essential purpose of the shed covering the walk
and his past history will also be investigated. Obvi- is to protect prisoners going to and
from the rain in
ously, the purpose will be to protect the prison body from the factories in the rear of the prison yard.
from the infectious diseases brought by new con- in The power plant is located at the end of the cov-
victs, to correct physical defects in the new prisoner, ered walk. It consists of a brick and steel building
to make the necessary identification records, and to with cement tile roof and concrete floors. The boiler
study the mental and physical characteristics of the plant consists of three 200 H.P. boilers connected to
prisoner, in addition to his past history, in order a radial brick stack 6 feet 6 inches in diameter by
that he may be properly classified. By this means 150 feet high. In front of the boilers is a concrete
the mental and physical degenerates, confirmed bin underneath the railroad tracks, which are on
criminals, and diseased criminals may be isolated the yard grade. The power plant contains a 100
from their fellows by placing them in the single man K.W. emergency lighting generator, switchboard,
cells. It will also be possible, by proper classifica- vacuum pumps, pumps, heater, and
feed water
tion, to segregate convicts of the same social and piping. from the power
All buildings are supplied
moral strata into the same multiple man cells. plant with vacuum steam heat, hot water, and elec-
At the outer end of the detention cell building is tricity through a system of tunnels which connect
the punitive cell building, containing 24 concrete the power plant with all buildings. Hot water is
cells supplied with mechanical ventilation. Twelve also supplied to the several buildings from a large
of these cells will face the windows and will thus be heater located in the laundry room.
solitary light cells, while the remaining 12 cells will
Hospital
face thedark corridor and will thus be solitary dark
cells. In future, confinement and other methods of To the left of the prison proper is located the hos-
punishment will supersede corporal punishment in on the ground plan. This build-
pital, as indicated
Alabama prisons. ing is of brick and concrete, with cement tile roof.
On the opposite wing from the detention cell In general, as indicated, the hospital consists of a
house a utility building which is a brick and steel
is central administrative and operative portion, con-
building containing clothing storage rooms, laun- nected to wings at either end by means of corridors
dry, shower-bath, clothing and shoe repair room, which are also flanked by rooms. Racial segrega-
and locker room for the clothes. tion will take place by placing white and colored'
patients at opposite ends of the hospital. At each
Kitchen and Mess Hall end of the hospital are provided surgical and medi-
A concrete and brick corridor, 10 feet wide, con- cal wards, each connecting into a sun-room.
nects the detention cell house with the kitchen and By the construction of an additional cell house in
mess Space is provided between
hall in the rear. the space indicated by the dotted lines on the
these two buildings for the future construction of ground plan, and by the construction of an addi-
another cell house which will double the cell facilities. tional kitchen and mess hall between the present
The mess hall and kitchen consists of an open mess hall and the power house, the population of the
brick and steel building, with brick walls, steel prison may be doubled. The present prison is
trusses, cement tile roof, no ceiling, and with con- designed to accommodate 800 prisoners on a basis
crete floor. The building is approximately 65 feet of five men
to the large cells. By putting six men in
wide and 225 feet long. Forty-eight-inch ventila- the however, the present population may be
cells,
tors are mounted between each pair of trusses. increased to something over 900. By constructing
Steel factory sash with large ventilators are used an additional mess hall and kitchen, racial segrega-
throughout. All windows are barred and screened. tion may be more completely effected.
34
KILBY PRISON
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35
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
The present capacity of the hospital is 32 pa- a monolithic concrete structure with brick veneered
tients, but this capacity may be increased by ex- exterior walls is by no means a cheap construction.
tending the surgical and medical wards. But it is a permanent and safe construction. Econ-
At the rear of the prison a cotton mill and a shirt omy in the construction of the cell house was se-
factory are being constructed to consume the labor cured through its compactness.
of the present prison population. The outside type of cell house can be made prac-
tically secure for all classes of prisoners when sur-
Economy rounded by an outside wall of adequate height,
The dominant consideration in the construction with its top guarded by high tension charged wires,
of the present prison has been the question of the provided the windows to the cell houses are barred
maximum possible economy in first cost consistent with steel-proof window guards and the prisoners
with permanency and the security and welfare of are reasonably well guarded.
the prisoners. All buildings are practically fire- The relative hygienic and physiologic advantages
proof, but are no larger than are absolutely essen- of the outside and inside cell construction I will not
tial, and as far as possible all non-essential features discuss here except to say that we considered
the
have been eliminated. All essential utilities, such outside construction manifestly superior in both
cell
as a complete telephone system, alarm signal sys- of these respects. While we consider these features
tem, steam heat, an adequate lighting system for very important in a permanent prison, the question
both the interior and the exterior of the prison, hot of economy in initial cost was also important in that
and cold water, etc., have been provided. the outside cell type of prison is a considerably nar-
rower prison for the same cell capacity, and, further-
Outside Cells more, since continuous mechanical ventilation is
Economy in first cost was the guiding considera- not essential with the outside cell type, it can be
tion in the construction of the cell houses, although
36
KILBY PRISON
more densely occupied, which further promotes most expensive item of prison construction) by in-
economy in construction. creasing the density of occupancy in the cell houses.
In designing the outside cell type of prison the But this density of occupancy carries with it re-
problem is one of providing a certain definite ex- sponsibilities in the matter of providing adequate
ternal wall area for the sides of the prison, since for ventilation for the inmates. Recognizing this re-
given dimensions of cells and a specified number of sponsibility, we have designed our cell house to
these cells a definite external wall area is required. secure the very maximum of natural ventilation.
The problem of maximum economy in construction This is secured, first of all, by a very large propor-
then resolves itself into a question of providing the tion of window area to wall area by ventilating the;
maximum of wall area with the minimum of floor windows top and bottom by constructing the cell
;
area. Two general forms of outside cell buildings house with a cross-section shaped like a chimney,
have been proposed: one, the narrow rectangular with a large number of large ventilators on top of an
type adopted at the Kilby prison, and the other the open pitched roof, so as to secure the very maximum
cylindric type. It is demonstrated in geometry of chimney effect and also the very maximum
that of all figures a circle has a maximum of area for effect from breezes.
a given length of periphery, while a very narrow Finally, to insure an adequate supply of ventila-
rectangle or quadrilateral has a minimum of area tion in the summer, when there may be neither
for a given periphery. It is, therefore, obvious that wind nor temperature difference, we have mounted
for a given external wall area, or a given cell ca- disc fans in each ventilator, driven by ball-bearing
pacity, the narrow rectangular type is/more econom- shafting from a push-button-controlled motor. By
ical in first cost, since it reduces the ceiling and floor this means the cell attendants, by pushing a button,
area to a minimum. will be enabled to flood the cell house with fresh air
Economy in construction was also promoted by at any time the air becomes foul, and since the
constructing our cell house five tiers high instead of attendants will be on the inside of the prison, where
four tiers, as is more usual. the air will be most foul, they will probably make
Finally, additional economy was secured by the use of their opportunities.
use of the multiple man cell. Our multiple man Apart from humanitarian considerations, which
cellsaccommodate six prisoners, while three single in a large measure should dominate the designer of
man cells of the same cubic contents containing two a prison, there is also the economic question of se-
partitions, two extra prison doors and locks, two curing the maximum mental and physicaf output
extra lavatories, two extra water-closets, two extra from the prisoner while at work. In an industrial
radiators, with all of the necessary connections to prison a man can do more and better work if he
these utilities, will only accommodate half as many sleeps and rests sufficiently. If the cotton mills are
prisoners. It will, therefore, cost more than twice to be operated 4fc>uble shift during summer months
as much in cell-hpuse construction to incarcerate a with a large portion of the population sleeping dur-
given number of prisoners in the single man cells ing hot summer days, it is doubly important that
than in the six man cells. the prisoners be confined in well-ventilated and sani-
It will, therefore, be noted that we have secured tary quarters. This fact we have borne in mind in
economy in cell-house construction (which is the the design of the cell houses at Kilby Prison.
37
Prison Farms for Women
By Hastings H. Hart, LL.D.
capes are infrequent, and escaping prisoners are more suitable detention rooms when additional
usually recaptured. buildings are erected.
The only secure place on the farm consists of The present buildings are inconvenient and ill
40
PRISON FARMS FOR WOMEN
adapted to the care and supervision of the women. the certainty of recapture, and partly upon the
When permanent buildings are erected, the work of spirit ofthe inmates. Running away is contrary
the officers will be greatly simplified but the prob-
; to the practice of the place. "It isn't done."
ability is that the new buildings will be
of simple construction, similar to that of
the buildings that have already been
erected.
The small number of escapes from the
Connecticut State Farm for Women and
Clinton Farms in New Jersey appears to be due to Newcomers have to be carefully watched for the
the establishment of a certain morale among the few days until they overcome homesickness and
first
women. This morale rests partly on the fine spirit become won to the place. After that they are less
of the superintendents and their staffs, partly upon likely to attempt to abscond.
41
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
WE PRESENT
maternity
herewith the plan of
cottage
State Reformatory for
of the
Women.
New
the
Jersey
This cot-
tage is designed for the reception, care, and treat-
ment of young mothers and babies. The building
is 102 feet long and 40 feet wide, with a rear
extension 24 by 28, containing the kitchen on the
first floor and bedrooms for inmates on the second
floor. The whole aspect of the house is cheerful
and there is no appearance of a prison about the
place.
rangement.
This building is constructed entirely of hollow
tile and stucco corridors of cement, and rear stair
and front stair fireproof towers of metal, and fire
42
PRISON FARMS FOR WOMEN
glass construction
with cement stair-
ways. The room
floors and nursery
floor, living room
floor, and dining
room are of hard-
wood construction,
but you will note
that all exits and
main corridors are
fireproof.
General plan of
using gray slate roof
on our institution
buildings has been
adopted. Dormer
windows in the roof
give ample storage
space in the attic for
clothing and other
stock. The laundry
is situated in the
basement, and here
the mothers are
taught properly to
care for their in-
fants' clothing.
Notwithstanding
the absence of prison
walls and prison
buildings, the num-
ber of escapes is very
small and escaping
prisoners are usually
recovered within a
few hours.
The institution
was opened January
8, 1912, and it has
THIS Hopkins,
tentative plan was developed by Mr. Al-
fred alongArchitect,
suggested lines
institution being connected
way.
by a covered passage-
Mr. Hopkins remarks: "While this plan is
by Superintendent Frank Moore, of the New only in the nature of a preliminary sketch, it is in-
Jersey State Reformatory at Rahway. It provides teresting in showing that a practical prison man is
for three general classifications : An Administration quite willing to get away from the old idea of super-
and Custodial Group, an Agricultural Group and an vision which established the radiating plan and the
Industrial Group; the various departments of the long type of cell block."
46
Westchester County Penitentiary and
Workhouse, White Plains, N. Y.
By Alfred Hopkins, Architect
(First published in February, 1918)
THE ple
Westchester County Penitentiary is a sim-
form of the type of a plan whose various
and it may be said that at the very beginning it was
determined the men should be housed in smaller
parts are brought together by the use of the units than was usual. There are four cell blocks of
connecting corridor to provide indoor circulation three tiers each, all with outside cells, there being
throughout the group. This system of design is well 27 men on a floor and 81 to a cell block. The con-
known in connection with other types of building, necting corridor 16 feet wide runs approximately
but seems to be new to prison architecture. Indeed, east and west, and to this are joined the four cell
such an arrangement would have only been tolerated blocks on the south, and on the north the reception
in the present attitude toward the offender. Modern building, the refectory, and school building. Be-
penology demands, first of all, adequate possibilities tween the two central cell blocks is placed the ad-
for segregation and classification. These are of vital ministration building, connected to them by an open
importance in the administration of the modern passage.
penal institution, and cannot be properly had in The administration building has on the ground
the huge cell block. To achieve this classification floor the warden's office on one side of the hall, and
and segregation, the connecting corridor offers the the clerical office on the other, and in the rear, a
greatest possibilities. long corridor which has been called the "guards'
corridor" but which will be used largely for the
intercourse between the prisoners and the public.
The General Problem On the second floor of the administration building
The general problem was as follows: are quarters for a hospital and some rooms for the
Westchester County had purchased at East View, officers. It will be noted that theofficers' rooms on
at a very reasonable price, a fine estate of some four the second floor and the guards' rooms on the third
hundred acres of exceptionally tillable land. On floor are accessible from the public space, but the
this property it was proposed to build a Poor House hospital is accessible onlyfrom the prison side. In
for about 700 and a penitentiary and workhouse for other words, the hospital is in the fortified portion
about 350, all short-term prisoners, the maximum and the guards' quarters in the unfortified. The
sentence being thirteen months. Most of the men main stairway goes up to the third floor of the ad-
were to be employed on the farm, but in an institu- ministration building, devoted entirely to guards'
tion of this size' there are always men who will do rooms, and these were made large enough so that
better in shops so that the two kinds of work ought two guards could occupy one room, and while this is
to be available. The plan was to build the institu- not generally advisable it was a wise forethought
tion by contract and the shops by prison labor. because some of the rooms have already been used
The general scheme is set forth clearly in the plan, in this way.
47
:
Theyenter to the left, where they undress and intimate opportunity to regard and to counsel his
bathe. Their clothes are tied up in a bag, tempo- man, and the prisoner his first intimation of what is
rarily placed in a metal-lined closet, which can be expected of him and what his treatment will be.
fumigated, and later taken to the general county After his interview with the warden the prisoner is
farm laundry and sterilized. After the prisoner has placed in cell block 3 to stay during the period of
had his bath he goes into the doctor's office, where observation, which is usually about two weeks.
he is given a careful physical examination, and here This is not only for the purpose of finding out what
also are made the finger-print and other records of his physical conditionmay be, and to guard against
identification which are very desirable from many the development of contagious disease, but also
points of view. that the prison authorities may make the equally
48
WESTCHESTER COUNTY PENITENTIARY AND WORKHOUSE
important diagnosis of his mentality, from which is especially waywardness has landed him in
when his
largely determined his future treatment. prison, and the old systems, which aimed at the
solitary confinement of the prisoner and tried to re-
Observation Cell Block form him by opposing all the things which were
This cell block set apart for the observation period natural to him, were as stupid as they were cruel.
of the inmate adjoins the administration building, Over the mess hall is the auditorium, large enough
and it is easy for the warden to be in frequent touch for all, with two stairways so that the inmates from
with the new men. An inmate who is only sentenced cell blocks 3 and 4 may be separated from those in
for a week or ten days would never leave this cell cell blocks 1 and 2, and the connecting corridor has
block, but would serve his sentence and be released been divided by mesh grilles, so that these two gen-
from there. Men confined for a longer period, how- eral classifications which are very desirable may be
ever, would be assigned to whatever classification maintained.
seemed best after the observation period expires.
In the reception building are also included the The Connecting Corridor
shower baths, twenty-seven in number, so that all The connecting corridor is not only advantageous
the inmates of each floor may be bathed at one permitting all portions of the institution to be
in
period. Shower baths are frequently put in the reached under cover, but has been very desirable as
basement, about the worst possible place for them a place of recreation for the prisoners. It will be
at all times, but especially in a prison. At West- noted that it is cross ventilated by windows north
chester no quarters of any kind were put in the and south and that, with its extended southern ex-
basement. It was determined at the outset that posure,it makes a very satisfactory place for rec-
all requirements should be accommodated above reationand exercise in bad weather when the men
ground, a very wise provision for every prison build- cannot work outdoors. A signal advantage, too,
ing. Adjoining the shower room is a store room arising from this type of plan is that the cell blocks
which would be small under ordinary circumstances, on the second and third stories are lighted on all
but in this instance there is a large general store- four sides because of the one story height of the con-
house which will be maintained independently for necting corridor. The cell blocks are not only closed
the penitentiary and workhouse. offfrom the connecting corridor by a glass partition,
The school building contains four rooms with ac- but at each floor the corridor between the cells is
commodations for 30 pupils in each school-room. again closed off from the stair hall so as to make the
quarters for the men as quiet as possible. The in-
Mess Hall tolerable banging, rattling, and reverberation of the
The mess hallhas been laid out so that the prison- usual steel cell in the huge modern cell block is one
ers will sit at the table in the ordinary way, facing of the chief things to be said against it.
one another, with alternate wide aisles for service. be noticed that the institution as planned
It will
Feeding the prisoners in a large mess hall has now resolves itself into three courts, all of which will be
been generally adopted in this country, and is in- kept in grass and planting and will look as little like
finitely better than the continental system of feed- the usual prison enclosure as is possible to make
ing them in the cell. Man is a gregarious animal, them through gardening means.
49
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
to build a county jail that, without giving much hesitated to put long-term men behind prison bars
more in appearance and accommodation than the which were so readily accessible to the ingenuity of
old type, should not exceed it in cost. the accomplished crook, but he would not hesitate
With the first idea in mind the bars to the win- to do so now.
dows were all located on the inside of the sash, in- In the cells a toilet has been placed where it will
stead of on the outside, so that this distinguishing be screened as much as possible, and the usual
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Prisoner's Corridor
mark of the usual penal institution should be as prison seat has been arranged to close down over it
little evident as possible. and conceal it almost entirely from view. The cell
By a special dispensation of the New York State walls have been painted a soft gray, and each cell
Prison Commission permission was given to place has a cot, a table and chair, a shelf and hook for the
the bars six inches on centers instead of the usual prisoner's clothes, and a wash-basin. The dining-
fouf and one-half inches on centers. The windows room has been furnished with very creditable look-
were designed so that only three bars were nec- ing tables and chairs, and the floor paved with a
51
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
bright red tile, and the dull monotony of color usual corridor being called the guards' corridor, and the
in a prison building has been avoided throughout inside corridor, next to the cells, the prisoners' corri-
the institution. dor. The object of this division was to protect the
guard from the prisoner, for this system is devised
The Outside Cell on the theory that every jail building must be con-
In designing the Westchester County Penitentiary structed on the basis of making it safe for the worst
and Workhouse, the second ambition realized by the possible criminal which might ever get into it. In-
author was to give each prisoner an outside cell. deed, every once in a while a guard is killed by a
When the plan was first developed, three years ago, prisoner; but so every once in a while a man is
the outside cell was much more a matter of con- killed crossing the street, but this does not mean
troversy than it is at the present time. The inside that our streets are unsafe, if reasonable care is ob-
cell of the American prison is a type peculiar to this served in traversing them.
placed. The space between the outside of the build- fresh air through the cell to the roof, thereby obtain-
ing and the front of the cells is frequently divided by ing very satisfactory results in heating and ventila-
a steel grille forming two long corridors, the outside tion.
52
WESTCHESTER COUNTY PENITENTIARY AND WORKHOUSE
Continental Construction
In the Continental prison the chief difficulty with
the outside cell is found in its ventilation. In Eng-
land the windows are intentionally made loose fit-
ting so that they cannot be entirely closed. Where
it is possible to close the windows tightly, insuffi-
tion periods, there is not the slightest reason to feel entire width. It is true that the prisoners can look
that the inmate has anything to endure in the out- out through the five-inch opening and communicate
side cell at all comparable to solitary confinement. with one another across the corridor; but if this
In New York State the regulations of the State privilege is abused, the door can be closed separately
Commission of Prisons are very precise on one point, and the offending inmate may be disciplined with-
and that is that each cell must have a toilet and a out affecting the comfort of the others. In the new
wash-basin. At Westchester vertical shafts were cell block at the Eastern Penitentiary at Philadel-
constructed between each pair of cells to contain all phia the cells have been equipped with two doors
the plumbing pipes for those fixtures. The basins one of solid wood and the other an iron grating. In
are designed so that the prisoner may drink from warm weather the grating only is used, and if a
the flow of water, which is from the outside of the prisoner becomes unruly or noisy, the wooden door
bowl rather than the wall side, thereby doing away is closed. The upper portions of the doors at West-
with the necessity of a cup. The closet is suspended, chester are glazed, as they always should be, be-
fastened to the wall and not the floor, and equipped cause it is necessary for the guard at all times to see
with a vent connected to galvanized pipes and ducts if the prisoner is in his cell.
which are controlled by an exhaust fan, there being Almost the whole problem of the outside cell lies
one fan for each cell block. This is a simple and of course in the window. Our climate is such in
effective way of providing against the prisoner's summer that it would be almost inhuman to put a
habit of closing his window in the winter. The man in a cell and shut the door without providing
toilethas been placed behind the wall of the utility adequate window area. The English cell with its
duct and is screened in that position. In the usual small window opening would be intolerable here. So
type of the inside cell block the closet is placed would those in the Holland and German prisons,
squarely in front of the door, with no screen what- where the windows are hinged at the bottom and
ever, and no effort seems to have been made to give open at the top. The Westchester windows are steel
it any privacy. sash of the usual casement type except that they
are pivoted top and bottom 4 inches from the jamb.
Ventilation by Cell Doors This enables the window to be readily cleaned on
The doors operate on an automatic device,
cell each side. The window opens at right angles to the
with which it is possible to open all the doors wall, and the opening is entirely adequate for our
at once, or each one individually. The author's weather conditions, the window being two feet wide
contribution to this device was that they could and four feet high. The adjuster is a commercial
also be locked five inches open. In this way it type, and will keep the window open at 90 degrees,
is possible in warm weather to ventilate the cell 45 degrees, and about 15 degrees.
THE tion
plan of the
is
new Detroit House of Correc-
the result of a careful survey of the
tration,
prisoners;
the admission,
the work-shops
care, and education of
and recreation courts.
most recently designed penological institu- With all, the idea of preserving the prisoner's self-
tions and the assembling of what was considered respect as far as possible and impressing him with
best about them, adding such features as seemed the idea that while he must receive deserved punish-
desirable to the Board of Commissioners and its ment, every chance of rehabilitation is offered him.
architect. A study of the plans will reveal the fact that the
center wing houses, the administration offices, the
Correlation of Divisions receiving rooms for prisoners, the social service
Foremost in the general scheme is the proper offices, and all departments general to the institu-
correlation of the various divisions, for adminis- tion, such as rooms, commissary rooms,
visitors'
55
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
main dining-room, kitchen, main auditorium, of the institution. Ten cell blocks, five on each
chapel, hospital wards, educational rooms, and side, and each three stories high, afford oppor-
library. Thus located, they are close to the ad- tunity for the segregation of prisoners, which is so
ministrative center and make for easy supervision, essential. General baths and barber-shops are
Ten Cell Blocks placed in the center of each group. The cell blocks
On both sides of the central wing are placed the in the main are though for the
of the outside type,
cell blocks, connected by a corridor wide enough to most hardened prisoners and for punishment some
serve as recreation space. By this arrangement inside cells are provided. The floors, however, are
privacy is assured the prisoners and freedom from entirely separated, the regulation cell block being
the gaze of visitors to the more public departments avoided.
56
PROPOSED PLANS OF THE DETROIT HOUSE OF CORRECTION
The prisoners enter by a private drive, and the auditorium is the chapel. The second floor of
through one of the exterior courts, into the re- the administration building is given over to the
ceiving room, which is adjacent to the social service hospital, dispensary, etc.; the third floor to class-
offices and close to the administrative offices. rooms and library ; also quarters for guards.
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THIRD- FLOOR.- PLAN
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railway shipment are provided; also a garage for ably to the north, whereby opportunity is offered to
trucks and a machine shop. keep the recreation courts fully 12 feet below the
The power and heating plant is located on the and for a full basement, which af-
first floor level,
center axis north of the Industrial Building. The fords ample and well-lighted space for the Com-
general laundry adjoins the heating plant. On the missary Department, tailor shop, shoe shop, and
second floor of this building the gymnasium is placed. other shops and store-rooms of all kinds.
58
THE HAWTHORNE SCHOOL FOR DELINQUENT BOYS
Prison Walls Obviated psychology of attractive buildings has not been
As will be noted, save
a short connect-
for overlooked.
ing wall, the buildings themselves form the en- Particular attention will be paid to the proper
closure of the courts, whereby forbidding walls and to the planting of trees
setting of the buildings
are obviated. and shrubs about them. Placed a considerable dis-
The buildings throughout will be fireproof con- tance back from the main road, and partially con-
structed, in the main of reinforced concrete, and cealed by trees and the undulating land, a certain
faced on the exterior with tapestry brick. Spanish degree of privacy desired by the Board will he
tile will be used for the roof of the center building. secured.
Such trimmings as occur will be of Bedford lime- The aim of the Board and its architect throughout
stone.The exterior is treated in the character of has been to produce a group of buildings economical
Lombard brick architecture, which style lends itself in construction and maintenance, though attractive
particularly well to the problem. All ostentation and sanitary, and easy of supervision, while assuring
has been avoided and architectural effect has been the prisoners privacy and comfort. Through proper
sought in the general grouping and proportions surroundings it is hoped to strengthen their man-
rather than in the ornamentation ; nevertheless, the hood.
THE School
Receiving Cottage of the Hawthorne
is an admirable example of a dormitory
tive fireplace. The dining-room
of the cottage has also
at the opposite end
windows on three sides. The
cottage for boys. We present herewith a kitchen is so arranged as to give cross ventilation,
photograph of the exterior, together with the first- both east and west and north and south, in hot
and second-story plans. weather. The first floor has also a small sewing
The hall on the first floor terminates at one end of room, with suitable storage.
the house in the living-room, and at the other end On the second floor there are two dormitories,
in the dining-room, economizing space. The living- each containing 10 beds. Each dormitory is con-
room has windows on three sides, and has an attrac- nected with shower bath, toilet, and locker room, so
59
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
60
THE THORN HILL SCHOOL
arranged that the day clothing of the boys is locked wood floors which are maintained in perfect condi-
up at night. The second floor contains a commo- tion after five years' use.
dious room for the matron, with bath and a room for The Hawthorne School has developed by the
a monitor. process of evolution, which has produced four types
The arrangement of the cottage is such that there of cottages, each new one presenting improvements
is not an inch of waste space and its appearance out- upon its predecessors. It illustrates the advantage
sideand inside is very attractive. The building is of building institutions by successive steps in order
thoroughly well constructed, with excellent hard- to profit by experience.
was instituted, in 1911, on the advice of the writer, tendent said to one of the house fathers: "You
two wooden shacks, without basements, with a have done so well in this temporary cottage that we
capacity of 24 boys each, were built for temporary intend to give you one of the new cottages." The
use. These buildings were well constructed, with house father replied that he and his wife would pre-
61
PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRISONS AND REFORMATORIES
fer toremain in the one-story cottage. This prefer- floor plan of a one-story cottage, which was built
ence led to a study which resulted in the construc- without any excavation. Heat was supplied by
tion of three one-story brick cottages, two of which natural gas, which simplified the problem. The
had a small basement under a part of the building, dormitory contained 20 beds and was readily
and the other had no excavation. The first two overlooked from the adjoining room of the house
one-story cottages were planned by Mr. T. E. father. The foundation and the floor were of
Billquist, architect, and have been in satisfactory concrete,and the superstructure of brick. A large
use for a number of years. part of the work of construction was done by the
The writer said to one of the cottage matrons: boys.
"You have worked in a one-story cottage and in a In the first two cottages small basements contain
two-story cottage: which do you prefer?" She re- heating apparatus, lavatories, and playroom for
plied: "The one-story cottage is greatly to be stormy weather. All of these one-story cottages are
preferred. The matrons in the two-story cottages attractive in appearance inside and out. The tem-
are tired to death climbing up and down stairs. porary one-story "shacks," built in 1911, are still in
When they are upstairs, the boys are doing mis- use. They cost only $4,000 each.
chief first floor, and vice versa.
on the But I can The one-story plan is gradually coming into favor.
stand in the door of my room and can see the At Mooseheart, the great institution for dependent
kitchen, the dining-room, the living-room, the children, maintained by the Loyal Order of Moose,
porch, the dormitory, and the locker room, and it they have adopted as a standard cottage Unit a one-
makes the work very much easier." story cottage for 16 children, with two dormitories
We submit a photograph of the exterior and containing eight beds each.
62