Jo Katerinas
11:55 pm on January 8, 2010 Permalink
| Reply
Hi Nathan Im studying Interior Design and currently designing a prison cell, this site as helped me enormously, its filled in a lot of the gaps ie all the stuff I didnt know, email me if you like thanks!
In researching a project for our company, Vistamatic Ltd I have come across your website and have found it fascinating. I would very much like the opportunity to speak with you at some stage.
Vistamatic are the Worlds Leading Manufacturer of glazed secure vision panels and we have recently developed a range of new high security vision panels that perform to BRE LPS 1175 levels SR2 & SR3.
I was looking for professionals in prison design to work on a project and I came upon this website. I will be very glad if you contact me at rhadjieva@batesimoti.com for further details.
good morning I am putting together design,build and manage team for a new prison.Of any interest to you??Kind regards,
Sean McClafferty.
Tel No 00353862590937.
Jonathan Wilson
12:08 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink
| Reply
I think this idea is a good idea. Proximity card access has been used in corporate environments for decades. As long as the cards cant be tampered with, contain some kind of mechanism so prisoners cant give their card to someone else and can stand up to the rigors of prison life, this could work.
Would also make it easy to track where a prisoner is (based on what doors they last went though). If there is a need for a lockdown, push a button to force all cell doors open, prisoners return to their cells (and swipe their doors closed, doors then lock automatically)
Most logical answer would be a proximity sensor worn like a watch but using the same tamper-proof attachment as a home-detention tracking system so it cant be removed or given to another prisoner.
Means guards dont need to spend time watching doors (and opening them when prisoners need to move through) and can be there to act when something goes wrong (or when prisoners break the rules or etc)
Yes I agree, it would need to be a very robust product but this is possible to create. Proximity might be a big bulkier, but at least for a first off the RFID system would be pretty easy to impliment.
Again your right, the big benefit is not so much control – but the ability to aid a massive shift in prison officer time – in turn enabling prison officers to be more able to help prisoners progress. By changing the technology we are able to change the job-role and employ people better qualified to help reduce the reoffending rates.
Jonathan Wilson
4:29 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink
| Reply
Another advantage of this system is that it can be implemented to encourage prisoners to follow rules voluntarily.
Example, at nighttime after prisoners have done food and other things, they return to their cells and swipe the card. Door locks and wont unlock until the next day. Any prisoner who doesn’t return to their cell or doesn’t voluntarily swipe the card (i.e. it gets locked by the master lock system after the guards ensure all prisoners are back in their cells) would loose “reward points”.
Prisoners who are in their cell during the day for whatever reason (e.g. wanting to take a rest after doing work or exercising) can go into the cell and lock the door so other prisoners cant disturb them.
When the prisoner is out of the cell, they can swipe the lock and keep other prisoners from stealing stuff.
Of course, the guards will have master keys that can open any door at any time no matter what.
Matt Parker
3:31 pm on October 17, 2010 Permalink
| Reply
Hi Nathan,
I’m a Civil Engineering student undertaing a theoretical detailed design of a holding center, your site’s been pretty helpful thanks! Would you have any idea where to aquire floor plans or information on existing prisions or current prision designs?
Thanks, Matt
Glad the site has been of use. Finding floor plans of current prisons might be tricky due to security issues. Best thing I can suggest if you have no other way to get floor plans is to possibly use Google Satellite view, to some extent you will probably be able to figure out some of the basic areas.
Warm regards,
Nathan
Patrycja Madecka
4:59 pm on February 11, 2011 Permalink
| Reply
Dear Mr. Murphy
I am a final year Interior Design (BA) Hons student from Edinburgh College of Art. I found your website very interesting and helpful. I am writing my thesis on How and why does interior design of a prison cell needs to change? For my final project I am re-designing a prison cell and I have a very different approach to the subject from yours. I would like to contact you and maybe discuss our concepts. Please e-mail me on the address submitted with this comment.
We would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! (10 Stats You Should Know About Our Prison System) is linked below and could be a fun way to share this announcement with your readers.
It has been a sincere pleasure to read your great content.
Sincerely,
Sharon Lewis
Andrea Cunningham
5:43 am on August 18, 2011 Permalink
| Reply
I am looking for a design guide for LOW TECH prison planning. What are the different systems for managing prisons without cameras and electronic locks? What are the physical concepts behind control of risk for guards and staff in the movement of prisoners into and out of their cells, yards, showers, training programs, work areas, kitchens, sports fields, visitor contact area? How do guard towers and stand-off distance work best? What are alternatives if there is not enough room for stand-off?
I’m working on prison design in places where there is no infrastructure to speak of, often no power, certainly no computers or cameras.
Perhaps make contact with people who may have created guidance for prison design in these environments e.g. http://www.africanprisons.org/
The constraints you have there sound really difficult and probably require a really innovative solution. Is a guard tower required at all? Security might be helped by a modulated design where prisoners live in small communities (cook/clean for themselves) rather than a large prison with significantly integrated association time. I do not have any references I can point you to directly, but you might find support through relevant organisations listed here; http://www.prisonreform.org/ or perhaps http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/ may be able to give pointers to appropriate organisations.
Andrea Cunningham, 
Sharon Lewis, and 7 others are discussing. 
Jo Katerinas 11:55 pm on January 8, 2010 Permalink |
Hi Nathan Im studying Interior Design and currently designing a prison cell, this site as helped me enormously, its filled in a lot of the gaps ie all the stuff I didnt know, email me if you like thanks!
Paul Kaye 12:11 pm on June 30, 2010 Permalink |
Dear Mr. Murphy,
In researching a project for our company, Vistamatic Ltd I have come across your website and have found it fascinating. I would very much like the opportunity to speak with you at some stage.
Vistamatic are the Worlds Leading Manufacturer of glazed secure vision panels and we have recently developed a range of new high security vision panels that perform to BRE LPS 1175 levels SR2 & SR3.
You may find it of interest to visit our website at http://www.vistamatic.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards.
Paul Kaye
Projects Manager
Rossitza Hadjieva 7:51 am on July 7, 2010 Permalink |
Hi Nathan,
I was looking for professionals in prison design to work on a project and I came upon this website. I will be very glad if you contact me at rhadjieva@batesimoti.com for further details.
sean mc clafferty 11:01 am on September 2, 2010 Permalink |
good morning I am putting together design,build and manage team for a new prison.Of any interest to you??Kind regards,
Sean McClafferty.
Tel No 00353862590937.
Jonathan Wilson 12:08 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink |
I think this idea is a good idea. Proximity card access has been used in corporate environments for decades. As long as the cards cant be tampered with, contain some kind of mechanism so prisoners cant give their card to someone else and can stand up to the rigors of prison life, this could work.
Would also make it easy to track where a prisoner is (based on what doors they last went though). If there is a need for a lockdown, push a button to force all cell doors open, prisoners return to their cells (and swipe their doors closed, doors then lock automatically)
Most logical answer would be a proximity sensor worn like a watch but using the same tamper-proof attachment as a home-detention tracking system so it cant be removed or given to another prisoner.
Means guards dont need to spend time watching doors (and opening them when prisoners need to move through) and can be there to act when something goes wrong (or when prisoners break the rules or etc)
Nathan Murphy 1:35 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink |
Yes I agree, it would need to be a very robust product but this is possible to create. Proximity might be a big bulkier, but at least for a first off the RFID system would be pretty easy to impliment.
Again your right, the big benefit is not so much control – but the ability to aid a massive shift in prison officer time – in turn enabling prison officers to be more able to help prisoners progress. By changing the technology we are able to change the job-role and employ people better qualified to help reduce the reoffending rates.
Jonathan Wilson 4:29 pm on October 13, 2010 Permalink |
Another advantage of this system is that it can be implemented to encourage prisoners to follow rules voluntarily.
Example, at nighttime after prisoners have done food and other things, they return to their cells and swipe the card. Door locks and wont unlock until the next day. Any prisoner who doesn’t return to their cell or doesn’t voluntarily swipe the card (i.e. it gets locked by the master lock system after the guards ensure all prisoners are back in their cells) would loose “reward points”.
Prisoners who are in their cell during the day for whatever reason (e.g. wanting to take a rest after doing work or exercising) can go into the cell and lock the door so other prisoners cant disturb them.
When the prisoner is out of the cell, they can swipe the lock and keep other prisoners from stealing stuff.
Of course, the guards will have master keys that can open any door at any time no matter what.
Nathan Murphy 11:02 am on October 14, 2010 Permalink |
Yes also agreed – with this sort of technology it is very easy to monitor and track use patterns.
I have written a little bit about how lock-based systems could be of use to enable greater system changes – specifically looking at reward systems for compliance which might be of interest:
http://prisondesign.org/2009/12/04/liberty-management-system-concept/
Matt Parker 3:31 pm on October 17, 2010 Permalink |
Hi Nathan,
I’m a Civil Engineering student undertaing a theoretical detailed design of a holding center, your site’s been pretty helpful thanks! Would you have any idea where to aquire floor plans or information on existing prisions or current prision designs?
Thanks, Matt
Nathan Murphy 5:57 pm on October 18, 2010 Permalink |
Hi Matt,
Glad the site has been of use. Finding floor plans of current prisons might be tricky due to security issues. Best thing I can suggest if you have no other way to get floor plans is to possibly use Google Satellite view, to some extent you will probably be able to figure out some of the basic areas.
Warm regards,
Nathan
Patrycja Madecka 4:59 pm on February 11, 2011 Permalink |
Dear Mr. Murphy
I am a final year Interior Design (BA) Hons student from Edinburgh College of Art. I found your website very interesting and helpful. I am writing my thesis on How and why does interior design of a prison cell needs to change? For my final project I am re-designing a prison cell and I have a very different approach to the subject from yours. I would like to contact you and maybe discuss our concepts. Please e-mail me on the address submitted with this comment.
Kind regards
Patrycja.
Nathan Murphy 2:58 pm on March 11, 2011 Permalink |
Sure – I emailed you – but maybe lost… feel free to contact me via linkedin; http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17748524&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro
Sharon Lewis 7:25 am on May 18, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Nathan,
We would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! (10 Stats You Should Know About Our Prison System) is linked below and could be a fun way to share this announcement with your readers.
(http://www.criminaljusticeusa.com/blog/2011/10-stats-you-should-know-about-our-prison-system/)
It has been a sincere pleasure to read your great content.
Sincerely,
Sharon Lewis
Andrea Cunningham 5:43 am on August 18, 2011 Permalink |
I am looking for a design guide for LOW TECH prison planning. What are the different systems for managing prisons without cameras and electronic locks? What are the physical concepts behind control of risk for guards and staff in the movement of prisoners into and out of their cells, yards, showers, training programs, work areas, kitchens, sports fields, visitor contact area? How do guard towers and stand-off distance work best? What are alternatives if there is not enough room for stand-off?
I’m working on prison design in places where there is no infrastructure to speak of, often no power, certainly no computers or cameras.
Any idea where I might find some literature?
Nathan Murphy 9:04 am on August 18, 2011 Permalink |
Perhaps make contact with people who may have created guidance for prison design in these environments e.g. http://www.africanprisons.org/
The constraints you have there sound really difficult and probably require a really innovative solution. Is a guard tower required at all? Security might be helped by a modulated design where prisoners live in small communities (cook/clean for themselves) rather than a large prison with significantly integrated association time. I do not have any references I can point you to directly, but you might find support through relevant organisations listed here; http://www.prisonreform.org/ or perhaps http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/ may be able to give pointers to appropriate organisations.