The cells were originally designed to feel as comfortable as possible, based on sailboat cabins, with built-in hardwood beds and desks. Most of these features have since been removed.[4]
Roman Mars:
The architects in Harry Weese’s group were tickled by the prospect as well.
Dan Weissman:
Jack Hartray, who worked on the building, said-
I think everybody in the office figured that you had a certain number of unindicted criminals in the city and then you had some that had gotten caught.
Dan Weissman:
And the MCC was just for the people who happened to have gotten caught.
Roman Mars:
And because the architects took it seriously that the inmates were innocent until proven guilty, they thought-
Dan Weissman:
Let’s make this as nice as we can! You know, somebody already looked at this problem: how do you make a really small space cozy?
Jack Hartray:
Harry sort of viewed this from the standpoint of the accommodations on sailor boats. The furniture was all built-in, so you could really do pretty nice furniture.
Dan Weissman:
Built-in, hardwood furniture has these really clean lines. The bed, there’s a desk. I’ve seen this picture, it’s really, you know, it’s nice.
Jack Hartray:
We built rooms to scale in our office and my children used to come down and take naps. They loved the interior space. It was, you know, kind of intimate and pleasant.
Dan Weissman:
It was cozy.
Jack Hartray:
Yeah.
Roman Mars:
And those narrow, slit windows I mentioned earlier? Those are floor-to-ceiling windows, to let in as much light as possible. But they’re also built just narrow enough, at five inches, so that they were within the federal guidelines of the time to not need bars.
Dan Weissman:
Sounds really nice.
Jack Hartray:
Oh, it is nice! It’s not a bad place to stay.
Dan Weissman:
I saw an interview with Harry Weese where he said that what he had in mind was like a hotel.
Jack Hartray:
Well, we were doing a hotel at the same time and this was better than the hotel, as far as the built-in furniture and all that.
Roman Mars:
Phil Carrigan has been going to the MCC for over ten years.
Dan Weissman:
He is kind of the designated volunteer for the MCC, and he goes and visits guys who don’t have anyone else to visit them.
Phil Carrigan:
MCC is not a star. It’s very drab. Gunmetal gray. You know, the physical facility is nothing to show off.
Dan Weissman:
The cells, the architect described them as being very nice, with all this kind of hardwood, built-in furniture, for instance.
Phil Carrigan:
They’re gone. The bunks are steel, two-tier structures. No wood.
Dan Weissman:
And do you have sunlight coming in?
Phil Carrigan:
No. The windows are frosted. Doesn’t allow for sunlight to come in. And you know, the place is old. It’s definitely undergone some changes, but none of them have been for beautification.
the cruelty is the point
transcript from 99% invisible with details
Roman Mars: The architects in Harry Weese’s group were tickled by the prospect as well.
Dan Weissman: Jack Hartray, who worked on the building, said-
I think everybody in the office figured that you had a certain number of unindicted criminals in the city and then you had some that had gotten caught.
Dan Weissman: And the MCC was just for the people who happened to have gotten caught.
Roman Mars: And because the architects took it seriously that the inmates were innocent until proven guilty, they thought-
Dan Weissman: Let’s make this as nice as we can! You know, somebody already looked at this problem: how do you make a really small space cozy?
Jack Hartray: Harry sort of viewed this from the standpoint of the accommodations on sailor boats. The furniture was all built-in, so you could really do pretty nice furniture.
Dan Weissman: Built-in, hardwood furniture has these really clean lines. The bed, there’s a desk. I’ve seen this picture, it’s really, you know, it’s nice.
Jack Hartray: We built rooms to scale in our office and my children used to come down and take naps. They loved the interior space. It was, you know, kind of intimate and pleasant.
Dan Weissman: It was cozy.
Jack Hartray: Yeah.
Roman Mars: And those narrow, slit windows I mentioned earlier? Those are floor-to-ceiling windows, to let in as much light as possible. But they’re also built just narrow enough, at five inches, so that they were within the federal guidelines of the time to not need bars.
Dan Weissman: Sounds really nice.
Jack Hartray: Oh, it is nice! It’s not a bad place to stay.
Dan Weissman: I saw an interview with Harry Weese where he said that what he had in mind was like a hotel.
Jack Hartray: Well, we were doing a hotel at the same time and this was better than the hotel, as far as the built-in furniture and all that.
Roman Mars: Phil Carrigan has been going to the MCC for over ten years.
Dan Weissman: He is kind of the designated volunteer for the MCC, and he goes and visits guys who don’t have anyone else to visit them.
Phil Carrigan: MCC is not a star. It’s very drab. Gunmetal gray. You know, the physical facility is nothing to show off.
Dan Weissman: The cells, the architect described them as being very nice, with all this kind of hardwood, built-in furniture, for instance.
Phil Carrigan: They’re gone. The bunks are steel, two-tier structures. No wood.
Dan Weissman: And do you have sunlight coming in?
Phil Carrigan: No. The windows are frosted. Doesn’t allow for sunlight to come in. And you know, the place is old. It’s definitely undergone some changes, but none of them have been for beautification.