Education to Empower: Capstone Project

EDUCATION TO EMPOWER Utilizing educational programs present in prisons to create a Design that further supports inmates futures

JILL WOODS

FALL 2023

PRISON DESIGN

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments Personal Statement Abstract Key Definitions

3 4 5 6

I. Introduction Statement Background Methods

7 8 10 11

II. History of Incarceration Typological Evolution Modern Security Psychology Geographical Context Contemporary Issues Initiatives

13 18 20 22 23 24 26

III. Re-imagined Program Typology Client Users Funding Operations Demographics

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IV. Precedents & Case Studies 39 Eastern State Penitentiary 40 Storstrom Prison 44 Petey Green Program 48 Bard Prison Initiative 52 V. Program Tactics

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VI. Context Site Analysis Building Analysis

65 67 74

VII. Topical Investigations User Lighting Color Materials Acoustics Security Code

79 80 82 84 86 88 90 92

VIII. Conclusion

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Bibliography Appendix

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As I prepare to present my findings, I carry the knowledge and skills imparted by my professors, advisors, and fellow student’s guidance and mentorship. I am grateful for all your insights throughout this academic journey. Thank you for your constant support, which has not only enhanced my intellectual understanding but also impacted my personal and design development.

LOUKIA TSAFOULIA MELISSA SMITH BPI PROGRAM EUNIL KIM LAUREN BAUMBACH

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PERSONAL STATEMENT

I have chosen to focus my attention on an often overlooked space: prison environments. Embarking on prison education designs as my chosen topic has been a personal and professional journey. I am passionate about challenging the prevailing notions that confine interior design discussions solely to aesthetically pleasing spaces, detached from spaces where rehabilitation and healing are fundamental. More than any other, prison environments demand a reevaluation of the role design plays in the lives of individuals within those walls. As designers, we can contribute to rehabilitating and healing the users within the criminal justice system.

My dedication to this topic is not only an academic pursuit but a commitment to advocating for the essential role of design in societal healing. I am excited to push the boundaries of conventional design discussions and support a more inclusive and holistic approach that extends the transformative power of design to all corners of our communities, especially those that need it most.

ABSTRACT This research explores prison interior design, specifically focusing on transforming educational spaces within correctional facilities in the criminal justice system. In acknowledging the profound impact of physical environments on human behavior and rehabilitation, the study aims to explore innovative strategies that can humanize the individual within the prison system. By rethinking educational spaces, this research seeks to move beyond traditional approaches,

emphasizing environments that promote learning, personal growth, and the restoration of human dignity. This research aims to contribute to the rhetoric on how intentional design can provide incarcerated individuals with opportunities for selfimprovement. This research aims to inspire a shift in prison design, advocating for spaces that serve as educational hubs and contribute to the broader goal of humanizing individuals within the criminal justice system.

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I

DEFINITIONS: humane:

(adjective) characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed: humane treatment of prisoners.

punish:

(verb) to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault: The goal of the court is to punish the criminal for the crime he has committed.

rehabilitate:

(verb) to restore to a condition of good health, ability to work, or the like. to restore to good condition, operation, or management, as a bankrupt business.

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KEY DEFINITIONS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

INTRODUCTION

This section unveils the relationship between institutional spaces and the social equity in our environments. The study aims to explore the consequences of user dehumanization in designed spaces by examining the underlying mechanisms of the human experience, specifically in prison design. By understanding the effect, we open the door towards a world that is more equitable and empathetic towards all.

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Research Questions:

How can designers go about to emphasize social equity and human rights through each design?

How can design be based on punishment vs rehabilitation?

Does institutional design diminish people’s identity?

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Dehumanizing Typologies: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMqbQjFQ=/

EDUCATION WITHIN PRISON DESIGN Our interconnected world features many dimensions that constitute the essence of each human being. The problem is our spaces often do not reflect this multiple dimension in designs. Many spaces contribute to flattening the identity of its users by replacing, canceling, or diminishing their existence. By examining the spaces that contribute to this problem it begins the process of an ethical design transformation.

The structure of this thesis starts as an exploration of what exactly dehumanization is and how identities can be flattened in design.

This initial question allows a new focus to shed light on how it impacts individuals and society that exist in some of these spaces long term. The research framework through which this project is developed will include a study of existing environments that

strip users of their humanity. Many of them foster spaces of discrimination, inequality, and marginalization. In some instances, these environments deny the user basic human rights. By recognizing these environments we can begin to unpack how exactly they dehumanize people. The research presented will build a framework of how we can create more inclusive spaces for all. A space that embraces diversity and celebrates everyone’s individual identity.

The project will narrow in on how the typical institutional prison design dehumanizes inmates. With research that explores rehabilitation philosophy in prisons around the world and ways design can help create an environment that fosters spaces of growth, with an emphasis on the educational facilities provided to inmates.

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AREA OF INQUIRY Background:

The problem is spaces that people exist in day-to-day may often flatten one’s identity. Whether these spaces be institutional or not, it creates a space where people lose part of their humanity. This problem needs to be studied because it often takes away from creating social equity in our world and may even deprive people of basic human rights. By examining these environments, it opens the question of why and how did we get to this point? Allowing ourselves to ask these simple, yet complicated, questions is crucial in order to understand how we can grow from this comprehensive problem that has been present in architectural history.

The general research topic focuses on Social Equity. This is a concept based on the principle of fairness and justice within society, where each person is part of an impartial playing field on structural and individual degrees. It addresses the distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges for all individuals, no matter what background or identity. Through the social equity lens, there are several things: It is a habit of mind for the decision maker, and an administrative

goal that can be measured, along with being a lens that identifies and processes everyone’s needs in a grounding effect. By examining social equity, dehumanization becomes a direct link associated with the topic.

What makes this topic extremely meaningful is the fact that many of these typologies that dehumanize people are overlooked. The review on Dehumanization: trends, insights, and challenges explains that, “Despite our many differences, one superordinate category we all belong to is ‘humans’.

To strip away or overlook others’ humanity, then, is to mark them as ‘other’ and, typically, ‘less than’.” It seems as if it is easier to brush the problem to these environments under the carpet, acting as if they do not exist.

In reality, we need to look closer into the social equity of each environment and try to understand how exactly people are dehumanized. By starting to understand the problem, many opportunities are created to improve the situation. Through research, it is clear to say there is not a simple answer to this issue of social equity in design, but a solution does not form in one day.

Guy, Mary E., and Sean A. McCandless. "Social equity: Its legacy, its promise." Public Administration Review 72, no. s1 (2012): S5-S13. https://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02635.x

Framework placing various targets along spectrum from human to non-human according to a gestalt evaluation.

Methods: To gain a better understanding of dehumanization, I will investigate spaces that tend to take away from one’s humanity and respect.

In contrast, I will explore how spaces can foster the theme of equity in multiple functions.

From this basis of understanding, research into how these multiple scenarios affect the users psychologically. This method will be examined through multiple frameworks such as case studies

into typologies that are known for flattening one’s identity. It will dive deeper into prison design and the framework of dehumanization that the users are faced with day to day. This will be explored through research into historic prison design such as the panopticon and penitentiary then will explore into the contemporary issues of prison design; covering issues on negative psychology present in these institutions.

Kteily, Nour S., and Alexander P. Landry. “Dehumanization: Trends, Insights, and Challenges.” Trends in cognitive sciences 26, no. 3 (2022): 222–240.Kteily, Nour S., and Alexander P. Landry. “Dehumanization: Trends, Insights, and Challenges.” Trends in cognitive sciences 26, no. 3 (2022): 222–240. https:// jefferson.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01TJU_INST/c6qkj0/cdi_elsevier_sciencedirect_doi_10_1016_j_tics_2021_12_003

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II

HISTORY OF INCARCERATION

The history of incarceration in the United States is a complex narrative that has evolved through societal norms, legal frameworks, and shifting perspectives on punishment and rehabilitation. The concept of imprisonment as a method of social control underwent considerable transformations, reflecting the nation’s changing values and responses to crime. This evolution has been marked by a tension between punitive and rehabilitative philosophies, as well as issues of racial and socioeconomic disparities within the criminal justice system.

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HISTORY

Dehumanization Dehumanization has always been present in our world through many forms. It has adapted and evolved into our current lifestyle whether this be in a technological sense or real life. Many of the typologies that were mentioned have architecturally formed into new versions, but many still flatten identities in underlying mechanisms. The research into dehumanizing spaces began by analyzing various typologies to find their similarities in environments.

Environments from Prison/ detention centers, sweatshops, refugee camps, homeless shelters, residential segregation, institutionalized settings for the disabled, online platforms, human trafficking situations, and street harassment. These main typologies are ones that stood out in the beginning of the project’s research into dehumanization.

Panopticon bare minimum function but did not support an individuals growth, let alone foster humanization.

One main typology that is one of the most relevant institutions of modern society, Prison architecture. The space of detention throughout history began back in the second half of the 17th century in Rome with no other form of architecture being built exclusively as a detention space.

This New Prison called Carceri Nuove was commissioned by Pope Innocent X. This marks the beginning of the act of separation between the act of ‘judging’ and ‘detaining’, marking a moment where these two aspects of the law had an ideological separation of allocated spaces. The main idea of the structure was the incorporation of cells as an instrument for detention that from my research derives from the practice of From this analysis, dehumanization meditation. It provides a space within our environments is for reclusion for a long period of present in various forms and time, where isolation and prayer affects individuals physical and practices where guilt can be a form mental health in many ways. In of punishment through separation overcrowded spaces, such as from society. For decades, with prisons or refugee camps there state and church were apart of tended to be a lack of privacy the same power, the new concept which was often associated with of punishment transformed from a lack of basic human rights. the death penalty and torture to Many of these typologies, in my incarceration. opinion, may have sufficed in the 14 14

Vessella, Luigi. Open Prison Architecture : Design Criteria for a New Prison Typology. Translated by Luis Gatt.

Southampton, [England] ;: WIT Press, 2017.

One prison design that became a legacy of the incarceration system is the Panopticon. This design allows watchmen to observe the inmates from a central tower that is surrounded by cells. The main concept of this legacy is the Panopticon creates a system where the incarcerated become agents of their own oppression by internalizing the power on themselves. The design is sophisticated enough where the watchmen could leave, and the system would be able to function on its own- no longer intimidating the user. This is a modern power

that dehumanizes the user by creating a constant fear within themselves.

Our modern world has taken this form of having a community that is all seeing, specifically through technology. As it being a soft form of power and more as an asymmetry of knowledge, we begin to impose rules to protect ourselves which ultimately results in being self conscious and paranoid. This modern form may not be as apparent as a central tower, but instead sensors that communicate in our most intimate objects.

McMullan, Thomas. 2015. “What Does the Panopticon Mean in the Age of Digital Surveillance?” The Guardian. The Guardian. July 23, 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-bentham. ‌

Panopticon Section & Plan

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Penitentiary Eastern State Penitentiary was a radical prison designed in the nineteenth-century to create social change. The gothic architecture supported the belief that solitary confinement would help in the process of reforming prisoners. What makes this prison distinctive is the “wagon-wheel” floor plan, which is estimated that only 300 prisons on four continents used this as a blueprint. The International Symposium on Solitary Confinement, sponsored

by Thomas Jefferson University Solitary confinement, provided a study on the permanent damage

of solitary confinement. Many of these cells are smaller than a parking space, with correctional officials using it as “an effective means of maintaining order and deterring violence and gang activity” according to Tianna Herring. This defense ignores the severe and permanent damage that inflicts on the human mind and body. Solitary confinement generally leaves the user in the same condition for 22 to 24 hours per day spent alone in a cell. This practice can be for short periods of time or can be used for years or decades without human interaction.

Eastern State Penitentiary Axon

Eastern State Penitentiary Interior View of the Panopticon from inside the cell (Plan for a Penitentiary, N. Harou-Romain, 1840)

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“Reimagining Prison.” n.d. https://www.vera.org/downloads/mass-design-group-reimagining-prison-booklet.pdf. ‌

“Visit Eastern State Penitentiary.” n.d. Visit Philadelphia. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/eastern-statepenitentiary/#why-visit. ‌Herring, Tiana. 2020. “The Research Is Clear: Solitary Confinement Causes Long-Lasting Harm.” Prison Policy Initiative. December 8, 2020. https://www. prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/12/08/solitary_symposium/.

“Psychological Repercussions of Surveillance | Criminal Legal News.” n.d. Www.criminallegalnews.org. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www. criminallegalnews.org/news/2022/sep/15/psychological-repercussions-surveillance/.

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HISTORY

TYPOLOGICAL EVOLUTION:

GRAPH CREDIT: MASS DESIGN GROUP

“Reimagining Prison.” n.d. https://www.vera.org/downloads/mass-design-group-reimagining-prison-booklet.pdf. ‌

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HISTORY 20 20

Modern Security The prison systems, particularly the panopticon concept, have evolved into parallels in various aspects of modern technology and surveillance systems. The principle of constant observation is present in these technologies, along with the psychological effects associated within. By adopting these new technologies into our society it begins to raise ethical questions regarding privacy, consent, and freedom of the individual. At what level will technology advance to provide security?

The prison system, along with our high tech world, is facing this concern as to what level of surveillance technology is fair and ethical from a security standpoint.

Our everyday world revolves around technology whether that be from workplace monitoring software, facial recognition on our phones, or social media platforms allowing us to share vast amounts of our personal information. Mass surveillance systems in prisons give the officers overall views of the prison spaces, but this presence brings psychological effects monitors inmates.

“Reimagining Prison.” n.d. https://www.vera.org/downloads/mass-design-group-reimagining-prison-booklet.pdf. ‌

Evolution of Panopticon concept into modern technology

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HISTORY 22 22

Psychology

Foucault

Geographical Context

Incarceration itself is inherently harmful to people’s health, “The prison environment is almost diabolically conceived to force the offender to experience the panda of what many psychiatrists would describe as mental illness.” Professor. Craig Hanet, an expert on the psychological effects of imprisonment and prison isolation explains the defining features of incarceration have a direct link to negative mental health outcomes, which include detachment from family members, loss of independence, disinterest, and lack of ambition or purpose. In a 2018 and 2003 study lack of activity and mental stimulation leads incarcerated people to extreme stress, frustration, and higher levels of depression. These negative effects of incarceration have a lasting effect on individuals, creating a host of collateral consequences that are traumatic with individuals when they are released from prison. “By providing clean, quiet, and humane facilities, prisons tend to experience significantly less prison disorder” The prison environment must be evaluated because currently this system has the potential to negatively impact a user for the rest of their lives, never allowing them to grow, let alone recover, from this chapter in life.

Foucault is one of the philosopher’s that was most prevalent in prison research. He was a radical philosopher, historian, and critic that contributed his life’s work to the relationship between power and knowledge. As a leading anti prison activist, he began studying punishment in social context and how power relations affected punishment.

One form he discussed was torture being ceremonial punishment where the audience was key to re-establishing authority in society. His research into punishment began from prison to penitentiary where once a prisoner was then considered a delinquent.

Foucualt examined the power of “gaze” that was presented when social institutions exercised discipline and power on human beings. “The power and techniques of punishment depend on knowledge that create and classify individuals, and that knowledge derives its authority from certain relationships of power and domination”. One of the main principles of his research found that observation and the gaze are key instruments of power. Power is an influence in our society, a force of nature, which can be in many forms including punishment. Modern power takes punishment into the hands of supervision and organization of the human body through time and space.

The problem of prison incarceration and dehumanization has manifested itself with varying intensity across different geographical contexts, with disparities evident both between and within countries. In the United States, there are significant variations in incarceration rates and levels of dehumanizing conditions in prisons. Louisiana and Oklahoma have historically had higher incarceration rates compared to the national average. Within each state, urban areas often have higher rates of incarceration compared to rural areas.

This could be linked to factors such as concentrated poverty, limited access to education, and systemic issues that increase crime rates in urban areas.

“Discipline and Punish: Power and Knowledge.” n.d. SparkNotes. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/ disciplinepunish/themes/#:~:text=Foucault%27s%20point%20is%20that%20one.

Lynch, Mona. Review of Overcoming Dehumanization: The Challenge for a Jurisprudence of Dignity, by Jonathan Simon. Social Justice 42, no. 2 (140) (2015): 172–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24871291.

“Psychology’s Influence on Prisons and Imprisonment - CONCEPT Professional Training.” n.d. Concept.paloaltou.edu. https://concept. paloaltou.edu/resources/translating-research-into-practice-blog/psychologys-influence-prisons-imprisonment/. ‌Quandt, Katie Rose, and Alexi Jones. 2021. “Research Roundup: Incarceration Can Cause Lasting Damage to Mental Health.” Prison Policy Initiative. May 13, 2021. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/05/13/mentalhealthimpacts/. ‌

In an international context, the incarceration rate and dehumanization

problems vary significantly. Within global disparities, countries with authoritarian regimes may have higher levels of human rights abuses within their prison systems. In developing countries, rapid urbanization has led to challenges in managing growing urban populations, resulting in strains on the prison systems.

European countries are known for their diverse criminal justice approach.

They demonstrate variations in their incarceration rates and treatment of prisoners. In Scandinavian countries, they are often looked up to for their emphasis on rehabilitation in their facilities. They implement programs that focus on humanizing incarcerated individuals.

The problem of prison incarceration and dehumanization is not uniform but varies based on geographical, cultural, and

Koh, Steven Arrigg. "Geography and justice: why prison location matters in US and international theories of criminal punishment." Vand. J. Transnat'l L. 46 (2013): 1267.

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HISTORY

Contemporary Issues Prisons in the United States today hold one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, with around 2 million citizens behind bars. Our criminal justice system that is driven by alterations in laws, policing, and sentencing is the driving factor, while morally it should be based on change in behavior. Many sources, including the college-behindbars documentary, explain how this is a result of inequality in our nation. There are significant racial disparities in the prison system with minoritt populations overrepresented. These results have disproportionately impacted the poor and deprived communities, majorly impacted communities of color.

When prisons today are compared with historic prison designs, there remains one common element.

The incarcerated are dehumanized in these environments. The prevalence of mental health issues amoung inmates population is a growing concern in todays society.

Conditions within prisons often do not respect human rights or meet basic standards of dencency. The all-seeing panopticon has evolved into all-seeing technology that takes away privacy and creates a self governing system. This basis

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of design deprives people of their dignity. Leading to spaces that prevent opportunities for personal growth. Ultimately leading to high rates of recidivism, which is repeat offending and re-incarceration.

Insufficienset access to services that provide opportunities prevent the rehabiliatation process to occur.

By starting to addresses these contemporary issues requires many diccsioplines to work in an effort to reform and find a balance between public safety, individual rights, and rehabilitation.

The focus on my project will be addressing the design of the educational opportunities provided in this typology. Design can create environments that support rehabilitation and reentry into society. By providing resources in the educational programs, inmates have a greater chance of reintegrating with society. These typologies need to change their narrative by promoting dignity, privacy, and well-being for staff and the incarcerated population. The project must focus on collaboration within various stakeholders of designers, psychologists, and inmates to lead to a design that is effective and humane.

Delaney, Ruth, Ram Subramanian, Alison Shames, and Nicholas Turner. 2018. “Vera Institute of Justice.” Vera. September 21, 2018. https://www.vera.org/reimagining-prison-web-report/examining-prisons-today.

“Prisons Today.” 2019. Easternstate.org. 2019. https://www.easternstate.org/explore/exhibits/prisons-today. ‌ ‌

“Infographic: The Growth of Incarceration in the United States.” Infographic: The Growth of Incarceration in the United States | The 25 25 National Academies Press. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/visualizations/incarceration/.

HISTORY

INITIATIVES Multiple initiatives and movements in various typologies have made it their mission to humanize all users through development programs that strive to use creative community building initiatives in their location. Below mentions movements ranging from physical actions to social media case studies.

BPI has been creating educational opportunities in prison nationwide for fifteen years. The program is able to redefine the boundaries of success for people in and returning home from prison by establishing a program that provides collegein-prison for inmates.

Young New Yorkers’, New York 2011

YASP: Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project, Philadelphia 2006

This is a restorative art diversion program. The mission focuses on transforming the criminal legal system through creative voices. It started in 2011 with Rachel Bearnard’s passion to work at the intersection of art and the criminal legal system.

Ten years later the organization serves 400 young people every year. They strive to allow young people to exit the criminal legal system with cases dismissed. This allows the young person to avoid a lifelong criminal record which can be detrimental to their lives. By engaging in these young people’s lives they are able to provide long-term opportunities to transform the criminal justice system.

Youth-led movement to provide space for incarcerated young people to express themselves creatively and to develop as leaders in and beyond the prison walls. “Over the past sixteen years, YASP has provided ongoing, year-round creative arts workshops for youth under 18 in the Philadelphia adult jails and continued support and leadership development for youth who have come home from those jails.” During that time, YASP has hired many young people who were previously incarcerated in the adult jails to assume leadership roles as primary decision-makers in the organization.

The Laundromat Project, New York 2005

Black Lives Matter, 2020 Protests

The mission is built off of their theory of change: “When artists and communities collaborate toward collective goals, we create meaningful transformation and wellbeing. Making art and culture in community and fostering new leadership helps shape a world in which members feel truly connected and have the ability to influence and shape their communities in creative and effective ways.”

One digital movement that happened in the recent years was the Black Lives Matter movement. It became a social media response to George Floyd’s public murder by police in May of 2020. According to research, there were 1.13 million public Instagram posts during the protests. The article above explains how social media shaped one of America’s largest human rights movements through content creators, protest journalists, and everyday users.

“About.” n.d. Young New Yorkers. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.youngnewyorkers.org/about.

“Home.” n.d. The Laundromat Project. https://laundromatproject.org.

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Bard Prison Initiative, New York State Prisons, 1999

“Bard Prison Initiative: Reimagining the Place of Higher Education.” n.d. Bard Prison Initiative. https://bpi.bard.edu.

“The Youth Art &​Self-Empowerment Project.” n.d. Www.yasproject.com. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.yasproject.com. ‌Black Lives Matter. 2022. “Black Lives Matter.” Black Lives Matter. 2022. https://blacklivesmatter.com. ‌ ‌

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III

REIMAGINED PROGRAM This section summarizes how the research will become present within the project. It creates the framework of the possible building typology. It expands on how the program will activate the idea of designing humanizing educational spaces in facilities within the criminal justice system. It will create a hypothetical client, financial support, operational layout, users, and finer details to support an informed basis of the Capstone Project Design.

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PROJECT Typology

The project type that will work alongside Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) through transforming the spaces that the incarcerated students use day to day. Currently their learning spaces in prisons and do not foster an environment that supports inmates’ success in education and rehabilitation. The typology will be a renovation of an exixing crimal justice building with the Bard Prison Initiative becoming a new program to the facility.

The redesign will only focus on the educational unit within this typology. With an approach to accomplish a design that is more humane and one that will activate the research I found on the act of

punishment and dehumanization.

Part of this design will also introduce a more hypothetical approach to a prison design and design guidelines that can apply a more holistic approach to a typical prison typology.

One of the biggest challenges to designing a closed prison is creating an environment that is less institutionalized. Prisons are designed around the consideration of safety for staff and inmates, but often these environments feel cold and inhumane. Many of the materials are chosen with the main consideration of budget and safety with well-being being considered more as an afterthought.

Client

The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) will be the client for this project.

Their mission reimagines college while transforming prisons. They take on the challenge of reducing high rates of recidivism and limited access to education within facilities in the United States. It is considered a “simple kind of experiment” where they provide the kind of education that normally is only accessible to children of the lucky or rich. This is achieved by creating academic spaces behind bars, where students and faculty challenge and engage in college coursework. They align with the goal in creating opportunities for the incarcerated, seeing the potential and human value in each prisoner.

Today, their college is spread across seven interconnected prisons in New York State. It was founded by undergraduate students at Bard College in 1999 and now enrolls over 300 students.

Throughout the years the program has been able to evolve and expand

into multiple locations in New York state prisons, now offering liberal arts education. While the program has had many wins, they face challenges such as funding, restrictive policies, and questioning about the value of education within a prison. As BPI continues to grow and expand they continue to advocate, research, and collaborate in order to overcome these challenges they face.

The project will be focusing on the part of their college that supports and establishes college-in-prison programs. Students in this program undergo a selective admission process and are in the same courses as a typical Bard College student would be. This program is a partnership with multiple colleges and universities across the country.

They take rehabilitation in their own hands by providing educational opportunities that prepare them for returning into society. This project will be part of their extension into other parts of the United States.

Current BPI Classrooms

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REIMAGINED PROGRAM

Users

The majority of users in this project refer to adults currently involved with community correction agencies. They are full-time students of the BPI program who are in the process of earning AA or BA degrees while behind bars. Other users of the space will be professors who come into the prison facility to teach the courses, staff who will assist with security, and possibly college students who will come into the facility for one-on-one tutoring. Each user will have security when they first enter

the space and will have various needs. Professors will need access to staff lounges and areas designated for them in the classroom spaces. Incarcerated students will need spaces that foster the various aspects of learning objectives. Tutoring mentors should be provided with access to educational tools such as library or study spaces. These aspects will work together to create a supportive space for all users.

Advisors

Melissa Moyer: A psychologist and director of a behavioral health program in a local prison.

This includes supervisory work within the prison walls. Having Melissa as an advisor helps me understand a staff’s perspective of the space along with her knowledge of psychology within the prison.

Eunil Kim: An architect that has worked on borough based jails in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Eunil provides an architectural perspective on the project with his knowledge from the previous jail designs he has done at HOK.

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Funding

Securing funding for the project within prisons will be from a combination of public and private sources. The relevant corrections departments will be able to provide a portion of the budget based on the positive outcomes of the educational programs. However, the academic spaces will have the best positive impact if funding from various sources is provided. This could be through local academic institutions, corporations that have a

Operations

The prison is open 24/7, and the BPI programs will be held during the day from 8 am to 4 pm. There are typically 19 to 24 classes offered in the prison each day. The program will include areas supporting learning, studying, and tutoring spaces. The courses are taught in a small seminar style and offer workshops and guest lectures at certain correctional facilities. These classrooms are connected within the prison system and are often interrupted by daily headcount procedures.

corporate social responsibility program, or a grant from an organization that focuses on reforming the criminal justice system. These funding sources will be outlined in a detailed proposal, including budgeting that allocates the costs for the entire project— altogether highlighting how the BPI program’s mission of rehabilitation and integration will align within the redesigned spaces.

“Bard College has conferred over 600 degrees to students at these BPI campuses. We call them campuses because that is exactly what they are: spaces for thinking, learning, and challenging students to imagine success beyond the confines of their physical location.”

The project will define more public and private areas within the educational facility, with defined areas for circulation and security.

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REIMAGINED PROGRAM

Socio Cultural & Economic Conditions In the United States, how prisons are built and organized is influenced by cultural views and budgetary issues—people’s beliefs about how to punish or help prisoners affect how the prisons are designed.

America’s diverse population means prisons must consider different religions, languages, and backgrounds. Money is a significant factor, too— limited budgets often lead to overcrowded prisons and fewer

Location educational resources. Old prisons and their designs also shape how new ones are built.

Technology, like surveillance and educational tools, impacts how prisons work today. Prisons can affect local areas, providing jobs but also causing problems.

Figuring out how to design prisons involves balancing safety needs, helping prisoners, and dealing with the country’s economic realities.

The Mecklenburg County Work Release & Restitution Center, located at 901 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC, 28231, serves as a shortterm inmate detention facility.

While primarily intended for short-term sentences, it occasionally houses serious offenders involved in Mecklenburg County court cases. The facility offers programs addressing short-

State: North Carolina City: Charlotte

term rehabilitation and reintegration goals, focusing on areas such as substance abuse, social rehabilitation, and job skills empowerment. It has successfully reintegrated individuals into the community, with early work release initiatives emphasizing the transformation of inmates into reformed community members.

County: Mecklenburg

Adult Detention Center

Type: County Jail Capacity: 160

Demographics The Mecklenburg Country Work Release and Restitution Center will be universally designed and not specific to a demographic group. Every design decision must respect all of the users who inhabit the space. The one demographic to consider is the facility type for adults, which will impact the choice of furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

“Mecklenburg County Work Release & Restitution Center.” n.d. Camdenncsheriff.com. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://camdenncsheriff.com/ north-carolina/county-jail/mecklenburg-county-work-release-restitution-center/. ‌

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“Mecklenburg County Work Release & Restitution Center.” n.d. Northcarolinaprisonroster.org. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://northcarolinaprisonroster.org/north-carolina/county-jail/mecklenburg-county-work-release-restitution-center/. ‌

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REIMAGINED PROGRAM

Conclusion

Prisoners are dehumanized in countless ways, whether it be through the vocabulary that we associate them with, the environments they are presented with every day, or the lack of opportunities our society gives them.

How can we expect anyone to grow as an individual if they are seen as less than in our society? This program allows them to be seen as students and not prisoners, a simple shift in mindset that supports the individual in a new form. By changing the lens of the justice system and punishment, we can begin to reshape the stereotype that the incarcerated typically are thought of. Our environments

must treat them as human if our society wants them to flourish, let alone survive once they return from prison. The Justice system has managed to keep a steady recidivism rate of 50-60% with their form of rehabilitation. Correctional departments are responsible for rehabilitating people; studies have shown that this approach does not foster the growth of each individual. We reshape the criminal justice system by allowing people to access higher education behind bars. People who complete this program while incarcerated have a dramatically lower rate of returning to prison.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Infographic: The Growth of Incarceration in the United States.” Infographic: The Growth of Incarceration in the United States | The National Academies Press. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/visualizations/incarceration/.

Anyrynen, Tuu, and Sari Laari-Salmela. “Men, Mammals, or Machines? Dehumanization Embedded in Organizational Practices.” Journal of business ethics 147, no. 1 (2018): 95–113.

This is a study that examines the relationship between organizations and employees when maltreatment is embedded into the practice. It discusses how dehumanizing employees can deteriorate trust within the organization’s model. The unethical behavior is linked between the company’s practices and behavior.

Busch, Isolde M., Francesca Moretti, Giulia Travaini, Albert W. Wu, and Michela Rimondini. “Humanization of Care: Key Elements Identified by Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers. A Systematic Review.” The patient : patient-centered outcomes research 12, no. 5 (2019): 461–474.

This review examines humanization of care through more of a medical lens. It highlights elements such as patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and institutions and how they can implement humanized care.

“Discipline and Punish: Power and Knowledge.” n.d. SparkNotes. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/disciplinepunish/ themes/#:~:text=Foucault%27s%20point%20is%20that%20one.

This abstract examines Michel Foucault’s core idea on Discipline and Punish. By examining the relationship between power and knowledge it will allow me to better understand the history of the modern penal system. The prison is part of the network of power that is known through society and which is controlled by the rules of strategy alone.

Guy, Mary E., and Sean A. McCandless. “Social equity: Its legacy, its promise.” Public Administration Review 72, no. s1 (2012): S5-S13. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02635.x Mary Guy’s article explains the idea of social equality and all the lenses that help one understand the roots of the abstract concept. It is able to take this basis of the concept and form it into contemporary understanding, and to its relevance to emerging issues in the world.

Gwinn, Jason D., Charles M. Judd, and Bernadette Park. 2013. “Less Power = Less Human? Effects of Power Differentials on Dehumanization.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49 (3): 464–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.01.005. ‌This journal reports two experiments on the effects of power differentials on dehumanization. Allowing the reader to question if less power has a relationship with being less human. It argues that power differences can lead to disparities in humanity.

“How Architectural Design Can Improve Social Equity.” n.d. CCA. https://www.cca.edu/newsroom/architectural-design-improves-socialequity/.

This article explores how architectural design can respond to the major issues we face in our world, specifically social and economic inequality. It begins by asking the question of “what does a socially responsible architectural practice look like?”

Kteily, Nour S., and Alexander P. Landry. “Dehumanization: Trends, Insights, and Challenges.” Trends in cognitive sciences 26, no. 3 (2022): 222–240.https://jefferson.primo.exlibrisgroup.com This article discusses the understanding of what the experience is to be dehumanized. It continues to analyze the interventions that can be taken to mitigate dehumanization to better our society.‌ Lynch, Mona. Review of Overcoming Dehumanization: The Challenge for a Jurisprudence of Dignity, by Jonathan Simon. Social Justice 42, no. 2 (140) (2015): 172–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24871291.

This article focuses on the respect for dignity within a prison system. It discusses how the incarceration system results in vast and deep harm towards the prisoners state. Focusing on the social justice of human dignity.

Of the 600 BPI alumni who have been released in the past 20 years, only 4% have returned to prison.”

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Novick, Lynn. “College behind Bars: Education’s Transformative Power for America’s Incarcerated Men and Women.” The Seattle Times, November 29, 2019. https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/college-behind-bars-educations-transformative-power-for-americasincarcerated-men-and-women/.

Mercurio, Francesca. 2022. “Prison Design: How Architecture Can Help Restore the Humanity Lost in Correctional Facilities.” Architizer.

August 8, 2022. https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/prison-design-humane-correctional-facilities/.

This source was chosen based on the idea of an alternate approach to correctional facilities. The article references how the correctional industry is a vast and complex problem that is far from perfect. It examines how some prisons function more as a rehabilitation center, such as the case in the Western world.

Vessella, Luigi. Open Prison Architecture : Design Criteria for a New Prison Typology. Translated by Luis Gatt. Southampton, [England] ;: WIT Press, 2017. ‌This source helps understand how the prison typology has evolved throughout the decades. It lays out how the overall plans and forms have changed along with the model of security in prisons. The last chapter addresses the general design criteria with a general layout of the main factors while considering prison design.

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IV

PRECEDENTS & CASE STUDIES

This section analyzes specific buildings and initiatives exploring various aspects of the criminal justice system. By understanding existing approaches to design or programs, the foundation for the design program will be information gathered from these precedents and case studies.

“Storstrøm Prison.” n.d. C.F. Møller. https://www.cfmoller.com/p/Storstroem-Prison-i2730.html. ‌

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CASE STUDY: EASTERN STATE PENTITENTARY

Eastern State was the world’s first true penitentiary, a building designed to inspire penitence - or true regret - in the hearts of prisoners.”

Overview

In the late 1700s, every type of institution underwent its type of revolution. The Eastern State Penitentiary, designed by architect John Haviland, is just one of these examples of design and reform in the prison system. It was one of the most famous prisons in the world when it opened in 1829 precisely because the approach was not corporal punishment. The hope when designing was to outlaw public punishments and replace the system with private, solitary confinement.

Eastern State was chosen as a case study because the design was intended to embody the concept of rehabilitation. Throughout the 1800s, the penitentiary led a worldwide shift towards rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. Today, the site is a history and legacy of the American criminal justice reform. Visitors can visit the former prison to understand the connection between past and present incarceration, a testament to how the criminal justice system is approached. The prison was operational from 1829 until 1971 and is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Substantial Analysis Eastern State Penitentiary is an intimidating site that successfully imposes fear as its initial intent was. The high stone walls are approaching the first experience a user has. This initial symbol creates a strong divide between the inside of the prison and the surrounding city. The prison utilizes Gothic Revival architecture, which only adds to the intimidation in the design. Once users pass the main gate entrance, they arrive in the courtyard.

This viewport allows a full view of the radial design to be noticed, creating this all-seeing view- that you are constantly being watched. The current condition of the prison has deteriorated over the years, but efforts have been made to preserve the historic site. The interior spaces have aged materials, but they can still speak to the initial design intent.

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Physical & Spatial Qualities From touring this museum, I began to understand the long-term

Building Materials

Floor Plan Configuration

The materials strive for solid materials that could be used for se-

The penitentiary’s floor plan is known for its radial design. The spaces

spatial qualities the inmates endured. One inmate described the

cure confinement. From the outside, the exterior high walls are con-

revolve around the rotunda, the central hub of the prison layout.

cellblocks as cold, damp, and stinky. The design created a city

structed of large granite blocks. These were a symbol of the security

Striving from the panopticon concept, John Haviland designed it to

within a city- where inmates had an entirely different lifestyle

within the prison. The prison used materials such as cast iron for

create a floor plan that prioritizes inmate surveillance.

within the prison walls. The floor echoed as guards walked down

the cell doors, railings, and other architectural details. Other materi-

the halls, the cells providing minimal light within the cells. These

als utilized were glass for the windows and skylights and wood for

Rotunda: The central hub of the prison that allows the staff always to

spaces could not have been more institutionalized. No color or

the cell doors. The tour informed visitors that the wood has been

be able to observe the inmates

materials foster well-being; inmates’ rehabilitation would occur

restored throughout the years. Combining these materials creates

from silence and reflection.

a cold, quiet environment that does not foster people’s identities.

Cellblcoks: 7 cellblocks that extend from the central rotunda that hold individual cells

Forms & Geometries

The general form and geometry of the penitentiary reinstated the concept of isolation and penitence as a form of rehabilitation.

The radial layout made the Eastern State Penitentiary wellknown. The cellblocks radiating off the central rotunda at a diagonal angle create a star-like design from above. This key aspect was highly influential in shaping the future of prisons worldwide.

Lighting

The lighting design approach was part of the idea of rehabilitation through solitude. Darkness was used as a tool to create an environment that fostered reflection. The cells have minimal sources of light from small skylights or windows. The skylights symbolize the “Eye of God,” reinforcing the idea that someone was always watching. The natural light was accompanied by gas lighting, which turned into electric lighting in later years.

Individual Cells: Designed for solitary confinement with a single small skylight, bed, toilet, and nightstand Central Courtyard: Within the radial cellblock were areas of exercise Support Areas: Around the rotunda were administrative areas Guard Towers: To oversee the perimeter of the prison

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We interpret the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, within the long abandoned cellblocks of the nation’s most historic prison.”

Sensory Engagement SITE PLAN PARTI

THE MUSEUM NOW Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. is a charitable nonprofit organization that uses the site to present the historical legacy of American criminal justice reform.

Through the incorporation of art installations, the nonprofit focuses on educating the public on the current issues of the justice system. They foster community partnerships, such as the Petey Greene Program, to make an impact on those who are currently incarcerated.

They have created a community that can unite people to develop and maintain the local green areas for recreation. FESPP (Friend of Eastern State Penitentiary Park) is a volunteer-run nonprofit that develops the park, which includes a playground, large lawn, and community garden with multiple recreation opportunities and individual garden plots.

I visited the Eastern State Penitentiary on a cold and rainy day. The interior of the prison spaces felt damp and unwelcoming. Walking along the multiple cellblocks, I smelled the stale air filling the confined spaces. As one walks through the corridor of the cellblocks, you hear each step taken. The voices of visitors echo through the hall and bring a small amount of life into the space. Each aspect only adds to the isolation and cold experience the penitentiary can bring to each sense. All together, they create a space that dampens one’s identity.

Intellectual Engagement The user journey for people in the space is unique and immersive. You walk along the high prison walls made from granite blocks from the entrance. The user then enters the cellblocks, following the clear, narrow corridors. You begin to understand the isolation and solitude the spaces bring when peering into the individual cells with minimal natural light. The small space fosters personal reflection through the minimal furniture and distractions. This design approach creates a space that dissuades a prisoner from the diversion of rehabilitating thoughts.

Emotional Response

When I went on this site visit, I aimed to understand the prison space best as if I were an inmate going into it for the first time.

I entered the cells as if I would be held there for an extended period. This mentality was ultimately triggering. I would never feel safe in the cells or prison as a whole. There was a disconnect from the outside world; inside was a space that made you feel alone with your thoughts. As a visitor to the museum, I was also curious. This was apparent because the museum allowed this experience to become educational. When you are free to wander around the site and learn about the experience as a part of history, it becomes an entirely separate experience as an inmate.

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FLOOR PLAN CIRCULATION

SECTION: PRIVATE / PUBLIC

Evaluate & Conclude

In my opinion, the prison was successful in the time and place of the criminal justice reform. Eastern State Penitentiary was designed to rehabilitate people through the concept of silence and isolation.

These spaces fostered the design intent, but from exploration and research decades later, it is clear that this approach does the opposite of rehabilitating the users. It is a testament to the revision that will always be necessary in design. Visitors can physically experience the unfavorable choices we made in history by the penitentiary becoming a museum. It also allows designers to truly consider that our knowledge of design and space is forever growing, and we have to be willing to adapt to that for the betterment of our communities.

Overall Takeaways: • Involvement within the neighborhood • Educating the public about the current problems in our criminal justice system • This was built on the concept of being a space that rehabilitated people - the importance of researchbased design

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CASE STUDY: STORSTRØM PRISON

Storstrom Prison was selected as a case study because of its humane architectural approach to a closed prison. What makes this project different is the humane approach that was taken.

The design supports the inmates’ mental and physical health while prioritizing a safe work environment for the prison staff.

The primary architectural approach that distinguishes this prison from others is how the architects focused on creating spaces that felt less institutionalized, claiming that this was one of the significant challenges for this type of project. The approach led to the creation of town-like structures that resemble villages. Creating the same social structures, such

as streets and squares, forms a familiar and varied user experience.

Storstrom Prison is a highsecurity seven-year project located in Gundslev, Denmark. It is meant to feel less institutional and more like a village on the Danish island of Falster, which can accommodate around 250 inmates.

The 377,000-square-foot prison was designed by C.f. Moller Architects in 2017.

From a substantial perspective, the project is a large-scale townlike landscape, with the natural landscape creating a less institutionalized experience. The materials are clean and very simple.

They choose materials that are more detailed up close.

Physical & Spatial Qualities

The design team developed their approach to the prison by researching how they are typically designed in other countries.

They took this information and designed quite the opposite. The individual cells resemble a college dormitory, with a few rooms aligning to a shared living and kitchen space where inmates cook meals. The biggest concern while designing a prison is security and safety. The architect, Mr. Hansen, describes, “We learned that the more you signal segregation between the staff and inmates, the less successful the rehabilitation of the inmates is. So we created a sense of openness between the two worlds.”

Forms & Geometries

C.F. Architects chose to stray away from the typical prison form layout. They used subtle distortions and asymmetrical geometries to avoid repetition. This subtle distortion approach allows visual variation to a user’s perspective. The prison consists of 10 buildings arranged as a “small village” to replicate an environment they would encounter in the real world. The designers envisioned this village typology would help inmates re-acclimate to everyday life while preparing them to re-enter society.

Structural Systems & Configurations Spatial configurations vary from building to building. The team had to design safe and secure spaces while providing inmates with a sense of belonging. The village-oriented design was altered by building closer together to create more inclusive relations for staff and their stations. Five prison buildings (4 high security and the fifth maximum security) within a radius of the central workshop and activity buildings. The staff segments connect from each building, allowing clear access to each space.

Materials & Lighting

The materials were chosen to become an asymmetry in the perceived mass and building outline. The exterior of the prisoners’ wings is formed with brick and concrete. The workshop uses metal cladding, and the activity building is made of metal and glass. One detail that is apparent on certain concrete wall surfaces is embossed circle patterns. Light can play on the wall surfaces through various shades through different uses of materials. From U.S. prison cells generally being dark and rectangular- they were inspired to provide a floor-to-ceiling window that angles outward. This simple change in angle provides more privacy and more natural light to enter the space.

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The designers studied environmental psychology when considering each space. The images above show how they used “less institutionalized” colors in the units that radiate from the social hub. This includes the living room area and shared kitchen, using bright colors to create a lively space that stimulates the inmates’ mental and physical well-being.

“The architectural phenomena - Hansen’s ‘surprises’ - are generated by the arrangement of spaces, surfaces, colors, materials, and buildings positioned to create asymmetries in perspective, mass, and building outlines.”

“We wanted to develop a prison that supports the prisoners’ physical and mental well-being while helping them re-enter society.”

PUBLIC VS PRIVATE

Analysis Stage 2: Deduction Sensory Engagement:

Intellectual Engagement:

Emotional Engagement:

The sensory experience creates an engaging

The user journey is emphasized through

The emotional response would ultimately

the exterior and interior. Multiple buildings

trigger a certain amount of fear. When users

are arranged to create the feeling of a town

are brought to this space, they are removed

or village environment, which promotes the

from their daily lives and environments. Once

feeling of familiarity for the users. The space

this initial fear is overcome, curiosity sets

offers opportunities for the inmates to find

in. The prison was developed with hopes to

their purpose and direction while they are

support the prisoner’s wellbeing. I believe

incarcerated. By incorporating the surrounding

this is achieved by creating an environment

environment through large windows, the

that emotionally supports the user with each

users are presented with a connection to

design decision. The materials are correlated

nature, which promotes personal growth.

with psychological research, and geometry is

Spatial

considered to provide familiarity. These are

environment for the inmates and staff of the prison. The spaces feel less institutionalized through examination. Walls and circulation paths are angled and create a space that uses asymmetry as a tool. The variation in angles makes the spaces feel unique and welcoming when natural light fills the large windows. The smell of food cooking in the shared common spaces can sweep into the main corridors of the dorms. Courtyards with direct access to these outdoor environments surround the educational spaces. Fresh air can be utilized in many spaces by creating this adjacency with the courtyards. Each aspect creates a space that fosters the user’s well-being and brings more life to a typical institutionalized design.

configuration

is

arranged with safety being

just two examples of how the spaces

the top priority, but the

emotionally connect to each user.

designers

achieved

this

skillfully to maintain the users and spaces.

CIRCULATION

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EDUCATION ROOM LAYOUT

NATURAL DAYLIGHT

EVALUATE & CONCLUDE:

Storstrom Prison is a precedent that should examined when designing an institutional building. The designers began by studying the current approach to the typical prison and asking questions. By initiating an alternative approach, they could design a prison that used our current understanding of rehabilitation in a new form. The spaces foster personal growth by giving inmates purpose and intent. Research should be the basis of every design, and the approach and solutions to this specific project helped them achieve their goal.

They resolved the typical prison design issues in minimal and substantial ways. Lifeliness can be brought about through simply painting walls and colors that bring vivacity into a corridor. Materials can be pressed with a pattern that brings texture and craft into what may generally be a cold concrete wall. Geometries can be played with to allow optimal daylight and asymmetry into the overall layout. This precedent shows how we have the opportunity to make these decisions that can have a significant impact on the rehabilitation of inmates.

We have to be willing to learn and analyze in the process.

EDUCATION ROOM: NATURAL LIGHT

Programatic Breakdown: Floor Plan The educational zone of the floor plan includes restrooms, a storage closet, and three classrooms. All of these spaces are accessible through a connecting corridor. Each classroom has a single desk for a professor and students’ desks. Two classrooms are more of a small seminar class with only three desks for students, while the third classroom consists of four desks and a small area for storage. Behind the professor’s desk is a whiteboard to support the learning environment.

Each classroom has a large window that overlooks the outdoor courtyard. This connection with nature promotes learning by supplying natural light and air movement through the classroom.

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CASE STUDY: THE PETEY GREENE PROGRAM Overview

The Petey Greene program was chosen as a focus for analysis of the opportunities it provides to incarcerated individuals in the United States criminal justice system. What makes this prevalent in the design issue is the program’s mission to provide educational support and tutoring services as a non-profit organization. The program was founded by a group of Princeton University students in 2008. He was named after Ralph Waldo Greene Jr., a former prisoner turned radio-television personality who stood for inmate rights and education.

Most college students can tutor incarcerated individuals by recruiting and training volunteers.

This allows incarcerated individuals to have access to education and a chance to improve their literacy and academic skills—the program partners with correctional facilities and educational institutions, such as Temple University. The education provides support in multiple subjects such as reading, math, writing, and preparation for the General Educational Development exam since slightly over 40% of inmates have not completed high school. The tutoring sessions are weekly, oneon-one, hour-and-a-half sessions in the prison classrooms.

Substantial Analysis

With the dedication to the belief that education can be a powerful tool for reducing recidivism rates and supporting inmates when they are released, the Petey Green Program begins to change the narrative of the criminal justice system in the United States. Each member makes a positive difference in the lives of those incarcerated and can reform how rehabilitation is considered in this institution.

They contribute to providing opportunities to inmates that give them motivation and purpose to build a better future for themselves.

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Support & Mentorship

The program can go beyond academic support by providing a sense of mentorship for those incarcerated. They can feel support by offering encouragement, motivation, and connection to people from the outside world. This aspect can be essential to incarcerated individuals because many do not have this support from family and friends. This provides a sense of life beyond the prison, making the institution less isolated.

Volunteer Training

Before the volunteers from colleges and universities begin tutoring, they undergo training that prepares them for working with these individuals. This addresses how to approach particular challenges specific to the prison population. This training helps both user groups get the most out of the program. Training is critical to providing educational support and tutoring services.

Building Community

Two-Way Transformation

that is built within it. People from correctional

This program can expose college students to an unfamiliar world, ulti-

What makes this program unique is the collaboration institutions, educators, students, and communities can come together to support each other. The volunteers are willing to take the time to provide a connection to someone who may not have this

mately prompting them to confront their prejudices. One student, Sahin, explained how it felt like a regular classroom, but the facility was much different. “You know, you can walk on one side of the hallway; you had to be escorted to the classroom, escorted to the bathroom.”

from any other lens. The support goes beyond just academics by building connections in the community.

Learning Environments

Based on research into the learning environments, they are configured as regular classrooms. The space uses individual desks that can be arranged to support group tutoring or separated for one-

“We learn from them and they learn from us. So it’s a two-way street” Andrew Rhett

on-one mentorship. Surrounding the border of the room are tall bookshelves and filing cabinets to support the learning environment. A few spaces have incorporated lively wallpaper or posters to bring color into the spaces.

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Funding

Donations are what make the programs work possible $20 Provides mandatory t-shirts for volunteers required to enter facilities in order to provide educational support to incarcerated people $100 Supports webinars that uplift the voices of formerly incarcerated people to educate the public on the causes and effects of incarceration

Evaluate & Conclude

$500 Provides virtual tutoring training for volunteers

The Petey Greene Program goes beyond supporting incarcerated individuals, which makes the program positively impact the community. Education is a powerful tool used as a two-way transformation.

to support high-quality educational experiences $1,000 Eight virtual tutoring sessions for incarcerated and reentering students $2,500 Supports reentry programs focused on the academic skills necessary for obtaining workforce certification $5,000 Support a college bridge program for incarcerated students who have completed a high school equivalency

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The Petey Greene Program is rooted in the belief that knowledge is essential to the rehabilitation process.”

Overall Takeaways: • Involving the community through volunteer work • Educating and bringing awareness to the public • Utilizing a mission that allows learning from both groups of college students and incarcerated individuals

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CASE STUDY 3: BARD PRISON INITIATIVE Overview

The Bard Prison Initiative is an innovative educational opportunity created for incarcerated individuals throughout the United States, established in 1999. BPI is present in multiple New York State prisons, offering college-level courses with associate and bachelor’s degree programs. Education is essential to transform the lives of incarcerated individuals through studies in humanities, social sciences, math, and science.

The program’s primary mission is for its students to reenter society as educated citizens to help decrease recidivism rates.

Rehabilitation

Their mission reimagines college while transforming prisons. It is considered a “simple kind of experiment” where they provide the kind of education that generally is only accessible to children of the lucky or wealthy. This is achieved by creating academic spaces behind bars, where students and faculty challenge and engage in college coursework. Today, their college is spread across seven interconnected prisons in New York State. It was founded by undergraduate students at Bard College in 1999 and now enrolls over 300 students.

Collaboration

Students in this program undergo a selective admission process and are in the same courses as a typical Bard College student. This program is a partnership with multiple colleges and universities across the country. .

They take rehabilitation into their own hands by providing educational opportunities that prepare them for returning to society. Students can learn as a typical college student through collaboration with professors.

Outcomes

We reshape the criminal justice system by allowing people to access higher education behind bars. While incarcerated, people who complete this program have a dramatically lower rate of returning to prison. “Of the 600 BPI alumni released in the past 20 years, only 4% have returned to prison.”

Educational Configurations

Forms & Geometries

collaboration that is built within. People from correctional

security. The layout is based on the circulation paths for the

institutions, educators, students, and communities can come

staff and inmates.

What makes this program unique, in my opinion, is the

The forms and geometries of the spaces are strictly based on

together to support each other. The volunteers are willing to take the time to provide a connection to someone who may not have this from any other lens. The support goes beyond just academics by building connections in the community.

Materials & Lighting

Physical & Spatial Qualities

The Materials used in the cells are painted CMU blocks and

The physical qualities of the space reflect standard institution

steel used in the furniture and bar door. Minimal light shines into

design. The spaces are consistent in color and material, with no

the space through a barred window. Artificial light is overhead in

form of art or atmosphere that embraces an individual’s identity.

every cell, with a second light source being a desk or work lamp.

The materials must be durable and resilient for everyday use and fulfill the correctional landscape’s needs. Although these are sturdy and safe materials, they create an institutionalized and cold environment.

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“We wanted to develop a prison that supports the prisoners’ physical and mental well-being while helping them re-enter society.”

EXISTING LEARNING SPACES WITHIN EASTERN STATE FACILITY:

CLASSROOM LAYOUT 1: CIRCULATION

TUTORING

INDIVIDUAL CELL PARTI

CLASSROOM

CIRCULATION

DEBATE

ART & CULTURE EVENTS

BPI COURSES OF STUDY: • THE ARTS • LANGUAGES, LITERATURE, AND THE HUMANITIES • SCIENCE, MATHMATICS, AND COMPUTING • SOCIAL STUDIES

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MENTORS

TYPICAL SCHEDULE: • FULL-TIME STUDENTS • 3 - 5 CLASSES A DAY • STUDY HOURS TEND TO BE LATE AT NIGHT WHEN OTHER INAMTES ARE SLEEPING

EVALUATE & CONCLUDE: The Bard Prison Initiative is successful in providing education to inmates.

However, my research taught me how design could enhance the initiative.

The classrooms are located within the prison site, so many disruptions are presented throughout the inmates’ daily schedules. The overall takeaways help highlight the main points that should be addressed to provide the best learning environments for the students.

Overall Takeaways: • The classical prision operation is disruptive to the learning program - head counts and other prison procedures pause classes • Inmates study in their cells which have a very small desk, many use their bed as a study area • Disruptive noises in the cellblocks do not promote a nurturing study environment •

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CITATIONS: EASTERN STATE PENITENTARY:

Bruggeman, Seth C. “Reforming the Carceral Past: Eastern State Penitentiary and the Challenge of the Twenty-First-Century Prison Museum.” Radical history review 2012, no. 113 (2012): 171–186.

“Exhibits.” Exhibits | Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Accessed October 9, 2023. https:// www.easternstate.org/explore/exhibits.

“History of Eastern State.” Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Accessed October 9, 2023. https://www.easternstate.org/research/history-eastern-state.

STORSTROM PRISON:

Merrick, Jay. PRISONS OF CONSCIENCE: CF Moller’s Storstrom Prison, on the Danish Island of Falster, Is Intended to Make the Facility Less Institutional and More Like a Village Community. The Architectural Review (London). Vol. 244. EMAP Architecture, 2018.

Parsi, Novid. BEYOND BARS. PM Network. Vol. 32. Drexel Hill: Project Management Institute, 2018.

Rojas, Cristobal. “Storstrøm Prison / C.F. Møller.” ArchDaily, December 13, 2017. https://www. archdaily.com/885376/storstrom-prison-cf-moller.

“Storstrøm Prison: a Modern, Human, High-security Prison that Uses Architecture to Promote Prisoners’ Social Rehabilitation.” urbanNext – Accessed October 9, 2023. https://urbannext.net/ storstrom-prison/

PETEY GREENE PROGRAM:

Calgaro, Sheila. “A Transformative Encounter.” Believe Earth, May 11, 2018. https://believe.earth/en/atransformative-encounter/.

“Become a Volunteer.” The Petey Greene Program. Accessed October 9, 2023. https://www.peteygreene. org/become-a-volunteer.

Program bridge college - squarespace. Accessed October 10, 2023. https://static1.squarespace. com/static/5345d0c1e4b0b2e29e338463/t/63d051a209a6572d4ae378e3/1674596770737/

BARD PRISON INITIATIVE:

“College behind Bars.” PBS. Accessed October 10, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/show/college-behindbars/.

“Reimagining the Place of Higher Education.” Bard Prison Initiative, 4 Oct. 2023, bpi.bard.edu/.

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V

PROGRAM TACTICS

This section articulates the function of the project. It begins by exploring the building typology and addressing how the program will be developed within a space. The program was developed with two informal interviews with advisors with previous criminal justice design experience.

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PROGRAM TACTICS

BUILDING TYPOLOGY Concept: Designed around the programmatic needs of a prison, this concept begins to seperate the educational program zones from the systems of the prison.

Strategy: This strategy optimizes learning because it is able to minimize distraction that would typically occur when the programs are adjacent to each other.

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Concept: The educational facility is taken out of the prison site and located in a different location. The path of travel now allows inmates to travel beyond the prison walls to experience a different environment when they learn.

CRITERIA MATRIX

PROGRAM TACTICS

EDUCATION ADJACENCY

Strategy: This strategy gives new perspectives to inmates and gives purpose to daily activities.

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PROGRAM SYNTHESIS

BPI Staff

Professors: Around 6-10 BPI professors that will come into the building to teach numerous classes to the BPI students. Each course will have one professor that guides the class during the duration of a semester. They work in the classrooms and are also provided support in staff areas.

Tutors: College students that will come into the space twice a week for 1 hour tutoring sessions. These students will be from local colleges that will provide educational support to the BPI Students.

Advisors: The advisors will assess the students schedules and how they are progressing within the BPI program. They will work within the building to provide accessible support at all times. They are also there to support students if they are struggling in the program.

Administrative Receptionist: Maintains records of who enters and exits the building. Also is in charge of checking in visitors or guest speakers.

Administration Supervisor: Monitors the program as a whole, with attention to detail in the schedule and educational programs provided.

Administrative Staff: In charge of reviewing applications for the program.

They check in with students during their entire time in the program.

BPI Students Incarcerated Students: Prisoners who have applied and have been accepted into the BPI Program. They attend classes and are given educational support within this space. Spending many hours in a day studying towards a degree.

Academic: Classrooms: 4 -5 learning environments that range in sizes. Adapted with white boards, desks, chairs, and a professors learning station Tutoring Spaces: More individual focused learning environments (1:1), these spaces focus on the tutoring services that will be provided.

Library: Books that can be accessed by all students and professors, close to the classrooms Computer Space: Technological zone where students have access to desktops for writing papers, researching, and other educational purposes.

Outdoor courtyard: Each classroom has access to an adjacent courtyard, providing an outdoor space that can allow users to take a break and go outside. There will also be a zone that will support outdoor learning.

Administration / Support Zone: Break room / Lounge: (300 sq ft) Small space where professors can grade / take a break Administrative Offices (120 sq ft): Works with the BPI program Security: Has access to viewing all areas in the building, secure vestibule entry Electrical Room Mechanical Room Restrooms

Security/Staff Prison Officers: In charge of monitoring the entire building to make a safe environment. They are stationed in multiple spaces to be able to keep security throughout the entire building.

Janitor: Cleans the facility and remove waste

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VI

CONTEXT

The context and location are integral to designing the capstone project.

The Mecklenburg County Work Release & Restitution Center was chosen in Charlotte, North Carolina. The center is crucial to Mecklenburg County’s justice system and can host 160 offenders.

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CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDING

Climate

JUSTIFICATION Mecklenburg County Work Release & Restitution Center was selected as the site for the project because it met all the criteria within the initial framework.

The space hosts various programs to help inmates address short-term rehabilitation and integration goals. Still, the existing design needs to be updated for the current potential educational opportunities it could provide. The redesign will focus on creating a space that facilitates humanization by offering spaces that give purpose and dignity to its users. The classrooms will incorporate new technologies for modern learning, with rehabilitation at the design’s forefront. While the facility serves as a work release and restitution center, it will be a new type of typology that BPI is extending to. This will be their first opportunity to exist in this type of environment, aiding in the success of the center re-integrating people back into the community.

Charlotte, North Carolina’s climate includes hot and muggy summers and frigid and wet winters. Year-round, it tends to be partly cloudy, with the temperature varying between 33°F to 89°F and is rarely below 21°F or above 96°F. Tourists typically visit Charlotte for warm-weather activities from early May to mid-June and late August to early October. The hotter season is from May 26th to September 15th, lasting for around 3.5 months. The daily high temperature is above 81°F. The cold season lasts three months, from late November to late February.

The average high is 59°F, with the coldest month being January. Charlotte experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity. The muggy period of the year lasts 4.2 months, from May to September, with the comfort level being miserable at least 20 percent of the time. One aspect that responds to the climate is being proven to be

hurricane risks. In response, the architectural elements can withstand high winds and heavy rain.

The architecture styles and design strategies play a crucial role in ensuring the comfort and energy efficiency of each building. In response to the warm and humid summer, many buildings utilize natural ventilation by incorporating large windows, open floor plans, and materials that can help regulate indoor temperatures. Many residential buildings contain porches and outdoor spaces to protect residents from the heat as they spend time outdoors. There is no strong need for extensive cold-weather architecture or design strategies in response to the mild winters. The city is committed to sustainability and incorporates many green building practices. New developments include energy-efficient technology in hopes of minimizing the environmental impact.

“Average Weather in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, Year Round - Weather Spark.” 2019. Weatherspark.com. 2019. https://weatherspark.com/y/18893/Average-Weather-in-Charlotte-North-Carolina-United-States-Year-Round.

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CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDINGG

CITY

Charlotte was established in 1768 in honor of Queen Charlotte of Great Britain.

The discovery of gold in the area led to its development, leading to a rush and subsequent economic growth. The city was a significant cotton processing center in the 19th century. The master plan has evolved, with urban development and sustainable growth playing a key factor. It is nicknamed “Wall Street of the South” because of the rise of its banking industry. The economy has evolved from agriculture and textile products to a financial hub, holding the headquarters of Bank of America and Wells Fargo’s East Coast operations. The key industries include technology, healthcare, and energy. The key geographical features include the Catawba River that goes through the city and a diverse landscape

of rolling hills and forests. Many green spaces are provided, speaking to Charlotte’s commitment to becoming sustainable.

The architecture of the city is a blend of historical and modern styles. Uptown Charlotte has contemporary highrise buildings, while residential areas have more historic Southern designs.

The most recent population count in 2022 was 900,000 people. There is a mix of ethnicities, which makes the city known for its cultural diversity. The socio-economic range is broad, with affluent neighborhoods and areas facing economic challenges.

STREET

The critical street feature is Elizabeth Ave, across from many other criminal justice buildings. The Mecklenburg courthouse, county pretrial services, probation & parole, Sheriff’s office, district attorney, and more are all within walking distance to the work release & restitution center. These buildings use materials such as tan concrete, brick, and glass. Most of the glass is reflective and dark, so people walking by cannot see it. One benefit to the location is trees all along the buildings, which help users in these spaces connect to nature.

NARRATIVE

The positive feature of this site is that many Mecklenburg criminal justice buildings surround it. It is also in a busy area, so lots of foot traffic around the area will allow for more exposure to educating the public on the problems in the prison system. The negative features of the site are that the building is very standardized, and it will be challenging to allow inmates to experience outdoor areas under surveillance.

SITE ZONING

NEIGHBORHOOD

The neighborhood is known for being a central business district of the city, which is known for banking, finance, and commerce, hosting the headquarters of major financial institutions. Many cultural amenities are also around, such as museums, theaters, and sports venues. Uptown Charlotte is in the Piedmont region, which is relatively flat and has many skyscrapers, parks, and cultural institutions. Many skyscrapers make uptown buildings vary in height.

The materials in these buildings tend to use glass, steel, and traditional brick.

The population varies from young professionals to families with a diverse population.

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Content, G. L. I. 2023. “How to Find the Perfect Home in Uptown Charlotte, NC.” ClearHome Storage. June 30, 2023. https://www.clearhomestorage.com/blog/how-to-find-the-perfecthome-in-uptown-charlotte-nc/. ‌

“ArcGIS Web Application.” n.d. Charlotte.maps.arcgis.com. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://charlotte.maps.arcgis.com/ apps/webappviewer.

“Charlotte | Location & History.” n.d. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Charlotte-North-Carolina. ‌“City of Charlotte, NC.” n.d. Www.charlottenc.gov. https://www.charlottenc.gov/Home.

“Zoning Administration.” n.d. Www.charlottenc.gov. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.charlottenc.gov/Growthand-Development/Planning-and-Development/Zoning/Zoning-Admin. ‌ ‌ 69 69 ‌

CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDINGG

CURRENT IMAGES

LOCATION MAPS

DEMOGRAPHICS CHART LARGEST ETHNIC GROUPS IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY:

1. White (non-Hispanic) 2. Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3. Other (Hispanic) TRAFFIC MAP

“Mecklenburg County, NC | Data USA.” n.d. Datausa.io. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mecklenburgcounty-nc. ‌

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TRANSIT MAP

STREET MAP

“Google Maps.” n.d. Google Maps. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.google.com/maps/ place/901+Elizabeth+Ave. ‌

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CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDINGG

OBSTACLE & OPPORTUNITY SITE INVENTORY

SITE RELATED ANALYSIS DIAGRAMS

A

PARKING SPACE ON SITE

B

POTENTIAL VIEWS OF GARDEN SPACE AND PARK

CONSIDERATIONS: - Shading must be provided for areas in the sun path - Sounds from the highway could add to noise level - Stury and durable materials -Surrrounding landscape are buildings with a few areas of green -Trees along the perimeter of building block excessive daylight from entering and connect users to outdoors - Two nearby parks - The building has a level of privacy for security reasons

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ADJACENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE FACILITIES

A

GREEN SPACE

BUILDING ACCESS POINTS

B

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CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDINGG

BUILDING ANALYSIS The redesign of the Mecklenburg Work Release and Restitution Center will be on the oldest section of the building.

The section is built on the West side and houses the functional needs of instituting educational programs.

There are a total of five levels, but the redesign will be focused on the first, second, and third level. Each one will be divided by lobby/visiting, residence programs, and administration with around 5,000 square feet per floor, totaling to 15,000 square feet total.

The housing capacity of this center is 160 individuals. The current design of the center is outdated and feels very institutionalized. The overall concept of the designers seems to begin to humanize the space, but does not take it far. The interior utilizes act ceilings, lvt floors, and beige colors in the main public areas. One of the best parts of the space is the large windows that are incorporated into the design.

The design will be more focused on sustainability through a more holistic approach and physically through materials selected.

EXISTING HOUSING

LEVEL 1

LOBBY/VISTING

EXISTING HOUSING PROGRAMS LEVEL 2

SECTION: LEVEL OF EACH FUNCTION

EXISTING HOUSING ADMINISTRATION LEVEL 3 74 74

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CONTEXT, SITE & BUILDINGG

BLOCK PLANNING & TEST FIT OF SPACES

BIBLIOGRAPHY “ArcGIS Web Application.” n.d. Charlotte.maps.arcgis.com. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://charlotte.maps.arcgis.com/ apps/webappviewer.

“Average Weather in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, Year Round - Weather Spark.” 2019. Weatherspark.com. 2019. https://weatherspark.com/y/18893/Average-Weather-in-Charlotte-North-Carolina-United-States-Year-Round.

“Charlotte | Location & History.” n.d. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Charlotte-North-Carolina. ‌“City of Charlotte, NC.” n.d. Www.charlottenc.gov. https://www.charlottenc.gov/Home.

“Google Maps.” n.d. Google Maps. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.google.com/maps/ place/901+Elizabeth+Ave. ‌“Mecklenburg County, NC | Data USA.” n.d. Datausa.io. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/mecklenburg-

county-nc.

“Zoning Administration.” n.d. Www.charlottenc.gov. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.charlottenc.gov/Growth-andDevelopment/Planning-and-Development/Zoning/Zoning-Admin. ‌

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VII

TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

This section gathers technical and human-centered human-centered needs in data to assist during the design process. Technical data is provided to aid in physical needs, while human-centered evidence concerns physiological needs. The guide’s framework is fabricated based on research into new jail and prison construction, with information that follows current correctional standards and architectural principles discussed by the National Institute of Corrections. The document discusses specific information relevant to planning jails through written and diagrammatic techniques that explore approaches to user data, lighting, safety, color, materials, textures, ergonomics, furniture, wayfinding, sustainability, and project specific needs.

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

USER DATA Prison facilities are adequate for both prisoners and staff, so the environment has improved efficiency and increased support for rehabilitation. The spaces must be designed with high professional ambition through supportive workspaces to attract and retain staff. Inmate spaces should support learning and choice to increase wellbeing and motivation. Basic facilities need adequate sanitation supplies, which could harm the users if this need is not met. One American study shows that staff members reported more sick leave and increased levels of drinking and smoking when they worked in poorer conditions in prisons. The environment factors for the users also consider the personal space, crowding/density, and psychological needs. Inmates need to have adequate interpersonal distances defined by cultural and situational norms. According to Kinzel, men desire more personal space 80 80

in environments with low ceilings, narrow rooms, spaces in the corners, and crowded spaces. Negative psychological and behavioral outcomes such as social withdrawal, reduced cooperative behaviors, and an increase in aggressiveness are associated with overcrowding in prisons. This should be prevented by creating smaller social groupings in work arrangements. Another consideration that must be built into the design framework for the user is identity. Twigger-Ross writes about the place and identity process, “Research has shown that we use place to support a strong and stable sense of identity through facets including self-efficacy, self-esteem, belonging, positive distinctiveness, and continuity over time.” To support a strong and stable sense of self, community and social relationships must be present to form a placerelated identity.

When designing around individual needs, control must be granted to the space users. Providing users with elements that require a small degree of care allows them to foster better connections between people and their environments. Lack of control in poor atmospheric conditions has been linked with negative well-being. An individual should be able to control light, noise, temperature, and air quality. The second control aspect is privacy, and in a prison, there tends to be a lack of privacy for inmates. Privacy must be in balance with the difficulties of security and isolation. When there is a lack of private space, this leads to more aggressive behavior in the

institutional buildings. Personalization should also be controlled within the design of the facility. Creative involvement in an environment links to greater valuation, ownership, concern for cleanliness, and self-esteem. This could be done through activities that express identity and distinctiveness, such as gardening, mural painting, and involvement in design. Prisons are often considered low-choice spaces, but this design concept counters the idea of rehabilitation in preparing the inmate to return to society. Enable choice towards the user gives them purpose towards their physical movements in each space they occupy.

Bernheimer, Lily, Rachel O’brien, Richard Barnes, Agata Korsak, and Roland Karthaus. 2017. “Wellbeing in Prison Design a Guide Matter Architecture the WELLBEING PRISON: DESIGN TOOLKIT.” https://www.matterarchitecture.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2018/05/421-op-02_Design-toolkit-report-online.pdf.

Bierie, D.M. (2012). The Impact of Prison Conditions on Staff Well-Being, 56(1), 81-95.

Kinzel, A.F. (1970). Body-Buffer Zone in Violent Prisoners. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127(1), 59-64.

Twigger-Ross, C.L., & Uzzell, D.L. (1996). Place and Identity Processes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 16, 205-220 ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

LIGHTING Natural light is a precious design element that contributes to the wellbeing of inmates. As there should be a balance against security concerns, all occupiable public spaces should have exposure to natural light since it encourages or reinforces a normalappearing environment for the users.

Potential security problems are escape, passage of contraband, vandalism, and conflicts beyond the unit/facility. To mitigate and prevent these conflicts, the orientation of windows should be toward an interior courtyard or screened area, windows should be placed high in the wall, and reflective or smoked glazing products that limit the view to the exterior allow light in but obscure the view. The spaces that inmates spend most of their time in must have equal access to natural light, whether through windows, clerestories, skylights, or outdoor areas. In typical situations, bars are a constant visual reminder of the inmate’s incarceration, trying to aim toward everyday life. With modern technology and high-performance safety glass, most bars on these windows are unnecessary. When considering window placement, ‘bay’ windows should be explored since they enable views and prevent overlooking. The American Correctional Association standards

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require that all inmates in detention facilities have access to natural light, with dayroom areas of at least 12 square feet of window.

Artificial light has historically been a problem in prison systems because of its insufficient capacity to provide adequate lighting. In many cases, the latter results in vandalism, and inmates get no relief from light at night. Overall, corridors and housing unit staff should control ambient lighting fixtures for clear vision and reduced eye strain. Secondary lights should be provided in dayrooms to allow lighting to be dimmed or shut off. By giving some selected categories of light, the inmates can control a variable of artificial light in the space. Lighting with unnatural light spectrums (high-pressure sodium fixtures) meant for street lighting should be avoided. The light sources in the jail should shine away from the officer-looking area to maximize visibility and reduce glare on the computer screens. Conference and educational areas should have controllable and variable lighting arrangements.

Since correctional environments are workspaces for security staff, inmates, workers, and students with tasks such as reading, writing, typing, and filing, these workstations should conform to the guidelines supplied by the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration. Lights should be placed in rows parallel to your line of sight. Thirty inches above the floor surface should be 50-70 footcandles of artificial light in the educational environment. Diffusers should provide different intensity options so that the environment can accommodate various activities such as writing, reading, verbal lectures, slide shows with note-taking, or films. One way could be removing the middle bulbs of a 4-bulb fluorescent light fixture to reduce the overall brightness and make the space more compatible with computer tasks if diffusers or alternative light sources are unavailable.

There should be supplemental task/desk lighting; office lighting should range between 20 to 50 foot candles.

Natural light should be controlled by blinds or drapes on windows to eliminate brightness. Vertical blinds work best for East/West facing windows and horizontal blinds for North/South facing windows.

Workstations should be reoriented so bright lights from open windows are at right angles with the computer screen.

The monitor glare can be mitigated by using glare filters on the screen’s surface. Louvers could also be installed in overhead lights to re-direct lighting.

Light in these spaces is crucial for providing a supportive work and learning environment. The natural light provides a sense of ease and connection to nature, while artificial light used in the space makes the room feel lively within the classrooms.

“ETools : Computer Workstations - Workstation Environment | Occupational Safety and Health Administration.” n.d. Www.osha.gov. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/workstation-environment. https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/024806.pdf ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

COLOR

The typical institutionalized prison and similar environments use sterile and bland colors and materials. This approach tends to add to the stress and anxiety from the lack of connection to the environment.

“Minimalist spaces lacking color and legibility evoke sensations similar to the symportion brought about by conditions such as stroke, muscular degeneration, and visual agnosia.” with good evidence showing that a lack of color in these institutional environments has a harmful impact on well-being for the users of the space. Color in the educational facility should enhance the experience of learning and create a positive effect on the inmates and staff, creating a space where they want to spend their time. Color and Its Effects on Inmate Behavior identifies that when color is used properly in prisons and jails, it can lessen overall tension and make a facility a better place to live and work in.

In color psychology, studies have shown that red causes a greater response in heart rate, respiration, and brain wave activity.

It is appropriate for social contact areas, but not in areas where inmates stay for a prolonged period. “The two extremes of the color spectrum, red and green, produce the most noticeably different biological responses. “ By incorporating green it will make time appear to be shorter with the rooms appearing larger to the user. Yellow is appropriate to use in spaces a warm environment wants to be achieved. The color makes the room small and creates a more restful environment.

Even the fact that a fresh coat of paint, even if it is a bright crazy color such as hot pink, will help minimize violent behavior in criminal detention settings. Quantity of color should be considered, large amounts of color can be overstimulating towards the individuals no matter the color temperature or preference.

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Las Colinas lounge area Photo: Lawrence Anderson

Storstrom Prison sightlines Photo: Architecture/Global

Las Colinas lounge area Photo: Lawrence Anderson

Color Palette of Storstrom Prison Porduced by Author

Bernheimer, Lily, Rachel O’brien, Richard Barnes, Agata Korsak, and Roland Karthaus. 2017. “Wellbeing in Prison Design a Guide Matter Architecture the WELLBEING PRISON: DESIGN TOOLKIT.” https://www.matterarchitecture.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/421op-02_Design-toolkit-report-online.pdf.

“Color and Its Effects on Inmate Behavior | Office of Justice Programs.” n.d. Www.ojp.gov. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/ abstracts/color-and-its-effects-inmate-behavior. ‌Pellegrini, Robert, Alexander Schauss, and Michael Miller. n.d. “Room Color and Aggression in a Criminal Detention Holding Cell: A Test of the ‘Tranquilizing Pink’ Hypothesis.” https://isom.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/JOM_1981_10_3_06_Room_Color_and_Aggression_ in_A_Criminal_Detention-.pdf. ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

CHARACTERISTICS

CLEANABLE SECURE BUDGET FRIENDLY ANTIMICROBIAL DURABLE

ERGONOMICS

ACT

MATERIALS

WOOD VENEER

MATERIALS/TEXTURES

Similar to color, materials, and textures are typically rugged and cleanable with institutionalized characteristics. The main constraints on materials are they have to be durable and secure to the space. They cannot easily be broken or removed from a wall or object. Another consideration is that most prison designs choose materials based on a lower budget, so this must be a consideration when selecting materials.

The maintenance for the selection needs to be easily clean and antimicrobial to prevent the spread of germs within the facility. Use fire retardant, non-toxic materials wherever possible and consistent with general design

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FURNITURE

VINYL CARPET STEEL

goals. There should be a balance between the ‘hard architecture’ that is resistant to human impact. Adding texture has been proven to have positive effects. Research has suggested that environments and furnishings designed to resist violent destruction may challenge people to destroy. The existing walls of the building can be resurfaced with art incorporated into the material. Curved forms can promote calm, while angular shapes do the opposite.

Materials such as carpet and acoustic ceiling tile should also be selected to be soundabsorbing, which can reduce reverberation.

ART FURNITURE, EQUIPTMENT, & ART

Furniture provided should have soft and hard options with vibrant colors in the fabric and materials. The selections should be durable but can be something other than security quality or fixed in place. In most cases, the furniture should be movable to allow for flexibility in the learning environments. Moveable, foldable, and stackable furniture is essential for a multipurpose space, with adjacent ample storage for equipment. Another aspect to consider when selecting equipment and furniture is the minimization of the potential for suicide. BPI allows inmates access to computers for learning, which

would be placed on carrels or table areas.

These computer workstations require space, supervision, and supplemental instruction by the professors and other educational staff. For the educational spaces to foster spaces for learning effectively, the furniture should be selected and arranged appropriately. Student desks should provide adequate writing surfaces, desks or podiums for teachers, writable surfaces, projectors and screens, and clocks. These are the minimum requirements for furniture, and all of these should be considered: movability, durability, and safety.

Bernheimer, Lily, Rachel O’brien, Richard Barnes, Agata Korsak, and Roland Karthaus. 2017. “Wellbeing in Prison Design a Guide Matter Architecture the WELLBEING PRISON: DESIGN TOOLKIT.” https://www.matterarchitecture.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/421-op-02_Design-toolkit-report-online.pdf. ‌“JAIL DESIGN GUIDE Resource for Small and Medium-Sized Jails.” n.d. http://correction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/il20design20guide20nationa. pdf.

“The Kinematics of Sitting.” n.d. Www.hermanmiller.com. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www.hermanmiller.com/research/categories/white-papers/ the-kinematics-of-sitting/. ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

SUSTAINABILITY

Storage to mitigate sound travel Photo: Criminal Justice Interface

ACOUSTICS

The space users are more sensitive to sounds in the learning environment. There should be proper separation from areas that produce noise since reverberation makes meaningful conversations difficult.

Continuous high noise levels create a stressful environment for users, which is the opposite of what this design is trying to achieve. Since porous material can be placed in furniture, it can become a portion of controlling acoustics. Still, it should not be heavily relied on since it has a shorter life span. Sound-absorbing materials such as carpet and ACT can mitigate the echoes of sound. There should be high acoustic control

in the security control posts and offices for staff. The educational facilities should also have moderate control over acoustics so students and staff do not become distracted by noise in adjacent spaces. Sound is one problem in these typologies due to many sources producing sound, like electric locks, doors, intercoms, TVs, and radios. Some solutions include more textured surfaces, adding irregular surfaces (angled walls), quieter locks (electric motor), swing doors instead of sliding doors, and separating louder rooms from quiet environments.

VISUAL

Direct visual observation is critical and more effective than CCTV monitoring. An enclosed or open-counter post will be in visual contact with the educational facility to monitor the inmates.

There should be some visual privacy from activity and movement in adjacent spaces to mitigate the distraction of program participants. The program and service areas will be designed internally to be visible from a constantly staffed post. There will be roving staff that can view the interior of the spaces from adjacent corridors.

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Preferred Placement of Fixed Posts Photo: Criminal Justice Interface

Sustainability can be implemented into these facilities through various aspects that use environmentally friendly practices, minimize resources, and foster a more humane space for its inhabitants. The building can become more energy efficient by implementing renewable energy sources such as solar panels to generate clean energy on-site. Energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and equipment can also reduce energy consumption. Natural light can reduce the need for artificial light and provide a connection to nature for the users. Materials can be chosen with the thought of sustainability being a key factor. This starts with prioritizing materials with low VOCs, which improve air quality. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures can be installed to minimize water usage or recycling systems can be put in place to reuse water where possible. Lastly, utilizing energy management, security, and monitoring technology will enhance overall efficiency. This could be achieved by implementing intelligent building systems that analyze and optimize resources based on data collected.

BIOPHILIA

Biophilic design elements could be adapted for the prison environment with prime consideration of the security and safety in each application.

Forms and spaces that simulate the natural environment can be created using raw materials.

Spaces can incorporate soothing sounds of nature and variance in light, color, and nature scents to mimic the biophilic experience. This could be through screens of nature with inmates allowed to sit to watch the nature film.

Bernheimer, Lily, Rachel O’brien, Richard Barnes, Agata Korsak, and Roland Karthaus. 2017. “Wellbeing in Prison Design a Guide Matter Architecture the WELLBEING PRISON: DESIGN TOOLKIT.” https://www.matterarchitecture.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2018/05/421-op-02_Design-toolkit-report-online.pdf. ‌ “JAIL DESIGN GUIDE Resource for Small and Medium-Sized Jails.” n.d. http://correction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ il20design20guide20nationa.pdf. ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

SECURITY Security is still a significant consideration even though work release and periodic sentence inmates are considered lowsecurity classification. The main security envelope of the building must be sufficient to secure the passage of contraband into the facility by outside parties. The primary considerations are secure wall construction, inoperable windows, security glass, and having a control point with at least two doors from the area and the outside.

There should be a designated area where incoming work release inmates can be searched, change clothes, and store work clothing. This area would have security equipment such as a standing metal detection unit or hand-held metal detector.

Lockers should be provided to inmates to store valuables, work tools, and backpacks.

These areas will be separate from the housing units.

One space that is often overlooked is the security above the area that is in an envelope. Planning must be developed for the ceilings and the relation to the ceiling plenum and roof. The ceiling of a space should be significantly secure if the walls in the area do not extend to the roof. If openings are necessary for a fast ceiling, they should be designed and sized accurately to preclude unwanted penetration.

In compliance with life safety codes and efficient building operation, the number of access points should be minimal. Limiting the entry and exit points allows fewer

Ceiling Security Photo: Correction.org

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chances for security to be compromised.

The main security perimeter should have a crucial override capability in the access points, which would be under the control of the Master Control officer. Metal detectors should be integrated into the architecture at all access points. They can be hidden from view by becoming built into the facility. The construction of the access points includes swinging or sliding doors, frames anchored into the wall, high-security detention-grade locks and hardware, strong security glass, vision panels, and a securely constructed three-dimensional security zone.

Internal security zones should incorporate fundamental principles throughout the facility’s design. All egress and ingress points should be regulated and monitored by direct visuals or the control center’s CCTV observation. The master control can restrict and control all movement from each zone through corridor gates or doors. The educational facility will be directly supervised, observed from a constantly staffed post, or monitored

by CCTV. One of the critical aspects when defining security zones is to design a proper balance between security and efficiency.

One valuable aspect is that sophisticated control technologies can diminish the required subdivision. By accurately defining and creating security envelopes within the facility, the design can become architecturally secure for inmates and staff.

Security Vestibule Photo: Correction.org

Main Security Perimeter Photo: Correction.org

“JAIL DESIGN GUIDE Resource for Small and Medium-Sized Jails.” n.d. http://correction.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/10/il20design20guide20nationa.pdf. ‌

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WAYFINDING & SIGNAGE

Effective wayfinding and signage design in prison environments involves standardized systems, universal symbols, optimal visibility, consistent placement, accessibility considerations, clear information hierarchy, and regular maintenance. Collectively, these strategies contribute to creating an environment where individuals can navigate safely and efficiently within the prison setting. The design must support individuals with diverse abilities by strategically placing signage at intersections and incorporating accessible design elements. A standardized signage system should consistently use color-coding, fonts, and symbols for clear wayfinding. Signage should be visible and well-lit, considering reflectivity when specifying materials.

“2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE (IBC) | ICC DIGITAL CODES.” n.d. Codes.iccsafe.org. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P1/appendix-e-supplementary-accessibilityrequirements.

Bernheimer, Lily, Rachel O’brien, Richard Barnes, Agata Korsak, and Roland Karthaus. 2017. “Wellbeing in Prison Design a Guide Matter Architecture the WELLBEING PRISON: DESIGN TOOLKIT.” https://www. matterarchitecture.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/421-op-02_Design-toolkit-report-online.pdf.

Bierie, D.M. (2012). The Impact of Prison Conditions on Staff Well-Being, 56(1), 81-95.

“Color and Its Effects on Inmate Behavior | Office of Justice Programs.” n.d. Www.ojp.gov. https://www.ojp.gov/ ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/color-and-its-effects-inmate-behavior.

“ETools : Computer Workstations - Workstation Environment | Occupational Safety and Health Administration.” n.d. Www.osha.gov. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/workstation-environment. https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/024806.pdf ‌ “JAIL DESIGN GUIDE Resource for Small and Medium-Sized Jails.” n.d. http://correction.org/wp-content/ uploads/2014/10/il20design20guide20nationa.pdf.

CODE, ADA, & UNIVERSAL DESIGN & CODE This project is part of Institutional Group 1-3 occupancy. The group facility is occupied by persons generally incapable of self-preservation due to security measures not under the occupants’ control. This group includes Correctional centers, detention centers, jails, prerelease centers, prisons, and reformatories.

Physical Accessibility: Wheelchair access in educational spaces, with ramps or elevators provided where necessary Modular/Adjustable furniture is provided to accommodate to users with different physical needs Sensory: Contrasting colors and signage for users with visual impairments Clear acoustic support for users with hearing impairments

Kinzel, A.F. (1970). Body-Buffer Zone in Violent Prisoners. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127(1), 59-64.

Twigger-Ross, C.L., & Uzzell, D.L. (1996). Place and Identity Processes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 16, 205-220 ‌ ellegrini, Robert, Alexander Schauss, and Michael Miller. n.d. “Room Color and Aggression in a Criminal P Detention Holding Cell: A Test of the ‘Tranquilizing Pink’ Hypothesis.” https://isom.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2020/01/JOM_1981_10_3_06_Room_Color_and_Aggression_in_A_Criminal_Detention-.pdf.

“The Kinematics of Sitting.” n.d. Www.hermanmiller.com. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www. hermanmiller.com/research/categories/white-papers/the-kinematics-of-sitting/. ‌

Wayfinding: Easy-to-read signage Clear layout of spaces to reduce confusion Technology: Educational technology is accessible to individuals who have varying abilities Accommodate diverse learning styles Classroom Design: Learning areas have ample space for mobility within the space Accessible seating with various options

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“2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE (IBC) | ICC DIGITAL CODES.” n.d. Codes.iccsafe.org. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P1/appendix-e-supplementary-accessibility-requirements. ‌

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VIII CONCLUSION

A summary of the findings and final objectives based on the research.

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FINAL OBJECTIVE

Throughout this study, this research Simply providing classrooms will has navigated the multifaceted allow education, but my goal within challenges associated with this design is to push this boundary redesigning within the criminal further. The design should strive justice system. Focusing on for an environment prioritizing designing conducive learning education and rehabilitation from environments challenges the the ground up. Many of these traditional institutionalized nature current spaces were designed of prisons and advocates for spaces with budgetary and functionality that humanize the individuals in mind, with rehabilitation being within these facilities. The findings more of an afterthought. This are through various aspects such as project will incorporate the use of accessibility, flexibility, and sensory newer technologies for learning, features that can become a holistic innovative solutions that support design approach that supports the BPI program and students, rehabilitation and personal growth and contribute to using the unique within these institutions. skills of a designer to extend past aesthetics. It will contribute The research has navigated the to the transformative power of hurdles concerning safety concerns design for those who need it most. and average institutional resistance These findings through research through historical prison design will advocate for a more holistic to modern approaches locally approach to design within the and globally. By beginning to prison for a positive transformation. understand current educational programs that address the My sources throughout this process typical prison design, I can take have helped me make informed forward the understanding of choices about the design. I have what is tangible within this design used many as a framework to build regarding the intersection between off of in terms of institutional policy and societal norms. codes and also ways some of the sources choose to go beyond the typical design.

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APPENDIX

Interview: Melissa

What is your role in the criminal justice system?

I'm a psychologist, but I'm also like the director of our behavioral health program. Essentially the city contracts us to provide behavioral health services. I work within the prison doing more supervisory things within the prison walls.

What spaces do you interface with in the prison? Are you aware of education within the prison system?

I know they exist, but I don't know that much about them just cause I'm more focused on things like behavioral health. But I know that they are there.

What can an interior designer focus on to promote a positive learning environment?

When I was reading about your project I thought of trauma informed treatment and it's the whole idea of creating an environment that feels safe with people with trauma and a lot of people who are incarcerated do have a history of trauma. I think aligning with your project would be like paint, like how, the colors of the walls and different factors like that. I know recently there was like some repainting done within the prison I work in.

The color of choice is yellow. When it comes to trauma, I'm not totally positive.

Are there any spaces that are missing in the program?

You could add a reading area that is separate from the main library space. But I think you got everything.

Are there any technical / security equipment to consider in the spaces?

There is a very big shortage of officers. I don't know if this fits into your study at all. But, um, like I've heard that certain jails, not mine, have like 70 percent vacancy rates. Across the country, there's a lot of adaptations having to be made because people are like very low capacity when it comes to officers, like ever since COVID it's taken like a huge hit.

Are there standard colors used?

We don't really utilize trauma informed colors- the spaces are more neutral colors which make a dreary environment.

What type of lighting is typical in prison design? Lots of natural light?

There are very small windows, typically small to prevent people from being able to climb through them. Their cells have very narrow windows- making it feel as if you are in a cave.

they have responsibility in growing plants, implementing the importance of nurture. I know they also have other education conference rooms and breakdown rooms What can an interior designer focus on to promote a positive learning environment?

One thing we can definitely focus on is access to natural light and the quality of the space in general. Like do they have enough space? Is it straightforward and easy to transport people in custody and things like that. Air quality and those kinds of things are things that also might matter Are there any spaces that are missing in the program?

You could add conference rooms and there could be a chapel for the religious aspect- non denominational chapel so it doesn’t lean into any specific religion providing space for people who store their shoes.

What adjacencies should be focused on more than others?

Since all of these would be in a secured parameter it should belong within a single security boundary so the educational spaces should be together and some other programs such as the horticulture a little bit outside of these programs.

Are there any technical / security equipment to consider in the spaces?

There are CCTV cameras, security cameras, and if it’s within a bigger boundary of a single prison facility, fences or high walls to protect the inmate, all the glass needs to be secured also which is quite expensive.

What types of materials are typically used in this environment?

Technically metal and concrete but you don’t need to be bogged down to this, what obviously drives this is budget. I don’t think it needs to be specific materials but it needs to be secured. You can’t be able to give it a few punches and then all the sudden you get a hole out.

Are there standard colors used?

When people imagine prisons they might think of something gloomy and gray but I think they try to use a lot of colors because that’s the cheapest way to brighten up the space.

As for security, what are the main concerns that should be addressed in the design?

There are “stations' ' within- also known as bubbles which are control rooms. They are the control of who is able to go in and out, unlocking doors from a push button for monitoring

What type of lighting is typical in prison design? Lots of natural light?

Yes, lots of natural light is required so one of the most important, single factors in designing . Each cell can get an equal amount of natural daylight for the quality and equity. All need to have access to outdoor outside air through the outdoor recreation area within the secured perimeter to enjoy the weather.

Do you have any suggestions or ideas?

Try researching the space for officers in addition to the inmates. Also consider how art can be brought into the space, my prison had a program where inmates worked together to create a mural in the space.

How is security addressed?

There must be a security screening when you enter the facility and then there is a secondary filter that happens . Some facilities use a triple or double kind of security measure so if one fails the other can stand.

Interview: Eunil

What aspects do you think work well in this environment?

The facility tends to want to skip the vegetation and planting aspect because it requires someone to maintain it. From a sustainability and education standpoint involving more greenery is very important- being built in.

Also adding warm kinds of materials like wood where it almost feels homey and less institutional. WHile you cannot that they will try to destroy many things just because we should all provide some dignity

An architect that has worked on borough based jails in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Eunil provides an architectural perspective on the project with his knowledge from the previous jail designs he has done at HOK. As an architect, have you ever worked on a project within the criminal justice system?

Yes, I’m working on borough based jails in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

What spaces do you interface within the prison/jail?

I do mostly work on the massing of the overall building, the face and more of the details like common spaces, how security is broken down to, and things like that.

Are you aware of educational programs within the prison system?

Yep, I mean I;m working at a Jail instead of a prison but the program breakdown could be similar. One of the most important programs is the horticulture program which requires natural light and the inmates can feel

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Interview: Eunil (Continued)

Do you have any suggestions or ideas?

It would be important to define what is humane- what is driving humane spaces versus what’s not. Europe has a really different standpoint in terms of how to treat people in custody. Compared to some of the other countries like China or Philippines Those models are completely different. Psychology treatment or consultation might be really useful. Some animal shelters, agriculture, or something to give the inmates a chance to have responsibility. It gives them something to take care of which is an important part of education, preparing them for what it’s like when they get out providing different skills. I’ve heard of a bakery or culinary education program that works pretty well.

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