County gives tour of jail

NEWTON — For the first time in just over three years, the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility was available for guided tours last Thursday evening.
The guests included county officials including the county clerk, a former freeholder, mayors of various municipalities, and business and non-profit service organizations.
The evening began with a tasty buffet supper, which included presentations by Sheriff Mike Strada and Warden Mark Farsi. Each guest was also shown the implements that each prisoner receives upon entry, including a soft spork, flexible drinking vessel, flexible pen, and a short-handled tooth brush. Nothing that could possibly be used as a weapon. Everyone was also given copies of the prisoners’ typical dining menus.
Once the tours began, guests visited the fifth floor housing block command center where groups of prisoners were housed in two separate and distinct dormitories, based on their classifications determined by their current and past criminal charges and general behavior. They are grouped by whether they are minimum, medium, or maximum-security inmates. The tours also included visits to a recreational area.
— Photos by Chris Wyman