The Cresson facility closed as a Pennsylvania state prison but before becoming a men's prison, it was a TB sanatorium and then a hospital for the mentally handicapped. The mentally handicapped facility looked to me like just another type of prison. I think this building was one of the women's "dormitories" which was more like a prison. Three and four beds per room (cell) with no sinks or toilets or showers. At the center of the floor two rooms housed all the toilet facilities. I have to admit that as bad as these were, the medical facilities of the prison were worse. They had showers that were stainless steel boxes with barred doors and large locks. I imagine they locked the prisoners into these shower "cabinets" and then turned the water on for as long and as hot as the correction officers wanted. The first image is one of the "rooms" or cells, the next is looking down the hall from this doorway. The last is the shower room with three stalls and three sinks, now all in ruins.

Prison CellThree beds. No bath. No comfort. Prison HallwayCresson Prison Women's Hospital

Cresson Prison ShowersShowers and sinks in Cresson Prison