Move over Squeaky Fromm, here comes Martha Stewart. Better known as one of Charles Manson's groupies, Fromm spent some time in the Alderson Federal Prison Reformatory. That is before she escaped, was recaptured, and then shipped off to a higher-level security prison.

For the most part, Stewart does not seem to pose any escape risk. However, for the next five months she will be living at the Alderson Federal Prison Reformatory which sits in the lush rolling hills of beautiful West Virginia. This camp resembles a college campus and contains approximately 750 women. Its designers followed the Georgian Colonial architecture and layout of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. The camp is more than 75 years old and it started as an experiment in women's penology. There are no perimeter walls or guard towers to prevent escape. Due to its remote location, escape is quite unlikely. Family visits can also be difficult for this same reason. Alderson is said to be one of the best camps in the federal system for women serving time.

The reformatory originally had 16 two-story high red brick cottages which were separated by groves of trees. Today, the small but quaint cottages are equipped with little kitchens and are used as a management tool to encourage good behavior among the inmates. In essence they are considered honor blocks for women in good conduct. Since her sentence is short, it does not seem likely that Stewart will prove herself eligible for cottage living.

The prison staff still uses a hand bell to notify inmates of an upcoming security count, which mandates that all of the women stand outside their rooms and be counted.

When Martha arrives she might appreciate the nice garden of flowers that sits on the grounds of this beautiful landscape which is filled with trees and immaculately cut grass. Even though there are no cellblocks, she, unfortunately, will not be entitled to have her own television or be in one of the cottages. She will have to prove good behavior over time because today the primary housing consists of a building that holds 500 women in a dormitory-style setting. She can worship or repent in the nice chapel which hosts a variety of religious denominations and services. She can occupy some of her free time by involving herself in a variety of activities such as ceramics, arts and crafts, playing Sony games, billiards, basketball, ping pong, weight lifting, working on computer terminals in the lab, or exercising on a rowing machine, treadmill, exercise bike and quite possibly watch one of her Martha Stewart Living shows in one of the designated television rooms.

Martha can purchase goodies and necessities in the canteen. She will have to wash her own linen and clothes and she will not be barking out any orders. There are phones to call home to speak with family. Martha, if physically fit, will be required to work. She could be assigned to a landscaping detail, maintenance, or work in the Prison Industries shop which is known as Unicor. Prison Industries is a large scale garment factory that produces garments for other federal facilities. She could be making lab coats, garments and even jackets for West Point cadets. There is a trained inmate volunteer fire department that protects not only the reformatory but also the local communities when needed. If fighting fires is not her thing, Martha might be interested in honing her skills in one of the vocational training areas offered such as electrical, plumbing, masonry, carpentry or cosmetology. If she successfully completes her cosmetology training, she will be licensed to practice in West Virginia. Just imagine what the local townspeople would think if they saw Martha cutting and styling hair in some beauty salon in West Virginia - it would be the talk of the town if not the country.

Tom Scherrer

Old Bethpage resident