Introduction to prison design
A prison is a complex environment with many different people with different needs and roles within a prison. From the visiting process to prisoner health-care there are significant design challenges to enable a more effective and efficient prison system. Although the design of a prison needs to be driven by the systems that it facilitates; changes to elements, for example locking systems, can allow significant advances and changes to how core systems and services can operate.
Taking this on board means designing systems, services and prison design elements side by side with the design of the super-structure created from the resulting requirements. The super-structure of the prison is largely irrelevant until the system and design changes to the way a prison is ran and managed are fully figured out – changes to relatively small aspects of the way a prison works can have huge knock-on effects to how the super-structure can be designed and organised.
The model of a government or company providing an architect with a design specification based on size and plots of land and a list of security requirements is not suitable for the development of prisons today. An intermediary set of designers, psychologists, engineers, technologists working and consulting with prison-based-practitioners, social-service-practitioners, education experts and ex-prisoners need to be involved to create a full and detailed specification towards creating a prison that works.
A proposed prison cannot be too ‘nice’. Politicians need to be able to propose prisons that the electorate will actually let them build; and prisons are a highly contentious area where almost every member of society will have a reasonably strong opinion regarding how it should be; regardless of their knowledge or lack thereof. To build a prison today it needs to appear in a way that is acceptable to it’s citizen stakeholders – but on the inside be incredibly progressive in how it works, how it links up all services required to help reduce reoffending and makes the prison management more efficient and more effective to an end result of protecting the public in the long term.
A prison should be designed;
- For the effective management of prisoner’s liberties
- For economical and easy maintenance
- To provide strong limitations for hiding contraband & manufacturing weapons
- To make vandalism difficult and minimise fire risk
- With simplicity and security in mind
- Bearing in mind all the wide ranging systems and services it needs to facilitate
- To design-out as many core problems prisoners and prison staff face as possible
“Secure prisons are essential to making our justice system an effective weapon against crime. When prisoners – convicted or awaiting trial – are entrusted to your care, they must know and the public must know that they will remain there until they are legally discharged…” Nelson Mandela (Kroonstad, 25 June 1998) 1
The security of a prison should go further than preventing escape, but also include the effective control of communication of prisoners with the outside world to prevent the continuation of organised crime, or intimidation of witnesses or victims by incarcerated prisoners.
Click here to view a Prison Cell Design
delphine, 
ajo, and 
Eduardo, 
Izmir, and 
Hello,
I would like to know wich studies you’re talking about when you say “Studies have shown that prisoners housed singly tended to fare …” and if you can give me the link or the source of this studie.
Thank you