At the Prison Review meeting yesterday, County Councilman Ron Angle (Rep-Bangor) vigorously cross-examined the prison project team. While Angle recently criticized Easton for accepting County money for a parking facility but refusing a prison expansion downtown, last night he hammered architect Thomas Crabtree with questions about the feasibility of expanding the prison at its current site in the middle of downtown. Michael Dowd (Rep-Easton) looked on. He has publicly condemned prison expansion in the Easton center. Moderator Nick Sabatine seemed resigned that the present project as it stands now is a done deal.

Voicing citizen concerns and refusing to let Crabtree off the hook, Angle asked: How soon before the prison will have to be expanded again? (5-6 years) Why not buy one of the rapidly vanishing large tracts of land still available to relocate the prison?

Although Easton's mayor Thomas Goldsmith has condemned the prison expansion, no member of the City administration was present. To the contrary, it appears that zoning officer Bob O'Neill has, behind the scenes, been carefully reviewing and vetting detailed plans for the prison submitted to him by architect Crabtree.

Prison warden Todd Buskirk and Director of Corrections Jim Smith answered detail points put by members of Council. Several Council members blamed the County Executive, Glenn Reibman, for not being present at the Review meeting on a project he himself initiated.

To this listener, architect Crabtree's insensitivity to residential neighbors' concerns was a piece with his comments about the facility's inmates. He referred facetiously to "prisoners banging their tin cups on the (cafeteria) tables" and assured Council members that none of the areas for outside exercise face city streets "thus meeting the mandated requirement for two hours of fresh air daily for each inmate." It could be argued that situating the prison outside urban areas would satisfy that requirement plus provide expansion room for the foreseeable future.

As Crabtree and prison officials discussed the layout of the new "pods" with Council and 15 or so residents looked mutely on, the slides of floor plans indicated the project is moving at an alarming pace. When the floor was opened to comments, individuals from the neighborhood spoke knowledgeably, sometimes emotionally about the impact on themselves and their streets. Cathy Stoops, a resident of Locust Street near the prison, appeared unnerved as she described the PROBATION sign that looms over her street and went on to argue against the expansion in spirited fashion. "You are using our tax dollars as if it was your own money to accomplish something we are strongly opposed to," she pointed out.

The anti-expansion forces may have to enlist residents of other areas of the city if they are to defeat the prison project. Scotching this project would be greatly encouraging to the many other activist groups now working to bring about progressive change in the city.