Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-05

be never legally committed to Jall,
or who nay be serving a short term
for a minor offense, is often so IN
huenced by the stories and opinions
of his fellow inmates that he leaves
the Jail to start on an Intentionally
crooked career.
And yet, Mr.. Hart says: THE
county Jail ought to be the most re-
formatory institution in the land.
1t receives offenders at the begin
ring of their careers, before they
have become hardened and con
frmed criminals. More can be ac-
complished for the reformation uf
a young criminal in the first week
of his Imprisonment than by six
months confinement in a state pri5-
on after he has become q confirmed
law breaker"
In Mr.. Harris skyscraper plan,
the Jail is connected with the GRIM
ial court building of the city. This
court building is a square structure
three or four stories high. and
above the roof of that the jail
rises in the form of a cross with q
central rotunda.
The public elevators and stair
ways of the court building stop at
the top floor of the court. To go
on up to the nine jail floors it is nee
essary to pass a grated and guarded
passageway in order to reach the
Jail elevator. Mr.. Hart shows that
If prisoners on the upper floors
were to hold up the Jail elevator
they would have to storm the
guarded gate before they could
reach an elevator to the ground.
The difficulties that Il prisoner
would have to overcome to escape
from such a building would be more
hazardous than those faced by Jack
Sheppard who battered his way out
of Newgate prison, DR. by Casa
ton prison. Sheppard worked six
hours going through various rooms
Of the prison, and making great
clatter with falling bricks and the
resounding clang of an iron bar
bursting through heavy doors.
Such a nights work would be i'm
possible in q modern skyscraper
prison with walls not nearly so
thick as those of old Newgate. In
prisons nowadays bolts and locks
r as unobtrusive as possible, but
they are efficient. The short cell
wings of the skyscraper jail would
be constantly supervised from the
central rotundas, and the Jail ele-
vator would make it possible for the
guards to gather quickly in an
emergency.
Escape from the windows would
be equally difficult. There are six
feet of wall space between the sill
of each window and the top of the
window below, In Mr.. Harris plan,
and they are designed to give the
least possible opportunity for a
foothold.
Human Fly Could Not Escape
Escape by ropes would be prac-
tically impossible because of the
height of the building. But if a
human fly could swing down a
rope he would stand slim chance
of getting away. The outer wa Is
of the prison would be Illuminated
at night, and four guards on the
roof of the criminal court build
ing would constantly keep the en-
tire exterior of the Jail in view.
With the Jail located convenient.
iy in the heart of a city 1t migt t
seem likely that signals would be
exchanged between prisoners and
friends in nearby buildings and
that outsiders could look into the
jail rooms. Mr.. Hart explains that
the wing arrangement makes 1t pos
sible for the windows of cells to be
$50 feet away from any windows in
nearby buildings.
Security is carefully provided
for by Mr.. Hart, since the jails
primary purpose is to hold prisoners
safely. But Mr.. Hart is more in
terested in progressive features 81
his plan. Thus. instead of the
bull pen," a corridor or court IN
to which prisoners crowd in the ex-
ercise period, the s%kyscraper jai'
has a roof garden. Here the pris'
oners a get outdoor exercise with
out being observed by onlookers
Part of the roof would be closed IN
so that athletic games might BIZ
played In cold weather, and {
strong netting around the open sec
ton would prevent attempts at es
cape or suicide.
Prisoners who have not beel
convicted may not be made to worl
i'm a Jail, but many grow tired .
idleness or worried owe their fam
lilies. These unconvicted prisoner
would welcome a chance to ear.
something for themselves or 70
their families. The new style jai
has a shop where they may work
It also has four school room
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