7 minute read
Research and Response
Research
ISABEL PAINTER
Isabel Painter (Upper Sixth) won the 2020 Rouse Artefact Award for her examination into how design adaptations could be used to improve well-being in prisons.
Modern domestic building design no longer solely focuses on the functionality or visual aesthetic of a space, but on the psychological impact of the building on its inhabitants. The spaces in which we live have a signifi cant impact on our emotional well-being and happiness; therefore, spaces should always be designed with the user’s mental state in mind. In general, there is a greater percentage of the prison population suff ering from mental health issues compared to the general population; self-infl icted deaths are 8.6 times more likely amongst the prison population (Prison Reform Trust, 2019). Should there not be greater consideration in use of design to combat this? And what design measures could such institutions adopt? My main aim for this project was to identify and develop design solutions to increase well-being and the mental state of inmates.
Prison design is typically functionality-driven with a focus on ensuring the security and safety of inmates and prison staff . This can lead to elements of psychological-based design being overlooked. It is potentially worth investing money into design features that will improve prisoner well-being with the potential knock-on benefi t of reduced re-off ending rates. In Norway’s prison system the primary objective of a custodial sentence is rehabilitation, which is seen in turn to result in reduced reoff ending rates. In the UK nearly half (48%) of the adult prison population are reconvicted of another off ence within one year of release. In comparison, Norway’s reconviction rate is 20% (Deady, 2014). Halden Prison is an example of Norway’s “humane” approach to incarceration promoting rehabilitation over punishment.
I considered four main factors during the design process – light, sound, the natural environment, and the movement and interaction of people.
1. Natural light is recognised as having benefi cial psychological impacts in reducing mental health issues such as Seasonal Aff ective Disorder and improving physical health through increased vitamin D (Swanson, 2016). As sunlight changes throughout the day in direction and intensity it dictates the body’s natural rhythm, whereas harsh
LED lighting (often the main lighting source within prisons) doesn’t give the body clues to times of the day, which can have negative impacts on sleeping patterns.
2. Excess and uncontrollable noise is shown to increase aggressive tendencies (Donnerstein, 1976).
One example of the impact of noise on violence was seen in HMP Buckley Hall. After being given foam ear buds to wear whilst sleeping, inmate violence halved (Rochdale Online, 2019).
from mental health issues compared to the general population; self-infl icted deaths are 8.6 times more likely amongst the prison population (Prison Reform Trust, 2019). Should there not be greater consideration in use of design to combat this? And what design measures could such institutions adopt? My main aim for this project was to identify and develop design solutions to increase well-being and the mental state of inmates.
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 2
3. Lack of personal space and overcrowding can drastically increase levels of stress, and long-term effects can cause deterioration in mental health (Thornberry, 1983). Even in a communal setting, for example public transport, stress and cortisol levels increase when a space is overcrowded (Evans, 2007).
4. Access to greenery and the natural environment can vastly improve welfare and mental health.
It has been found that in urban areas with low levels of green space, inhabitants report poorer mental and physical health compared to those living in areas where green space is more abundant (De Vries, 2003).
My prison design focused on the incorporation of these four design factors outlined into the design of cellblocks and individual cells.
For my final outcome I produced an example model cellblock, setting out the building in a circular way (Figure 1), providing one uninterrupted route through the building. By removing corners or dead ends there is a reduction in buffer zones to reduce territorial behaviour and conflict. The cells themselves are south facing, benefitting from maximum exposure to natural light, and the north of the building accommodates two communal kitchen lounge areas for smaller groups to use, replacing large, shared dining halls. The central corridor spanning the inner edge of the ring is lined with large windows to improve light levels, also providing clear sightlines through the whole building allowing staff to monitor inmate activity from a variety of viewpoints. The central portion of the building acts as a communal garden area for inmates and staff to use, providing a calming and stimulating outdoor space. This attention to greenery is also replicated on the building’s exterior, which is clad with vegetated walls, visible to both inmates on their own and other cellblocks through the extruded window design.
The segmented cell shape results in the room widening as you walk through it creating the sense of growing space, alongside an above average prison ceiling height (2.7m) the space feels less confining (Figure 2). Natural light within the cell is provided by skylights and large extruded windows. Noise reduction within cells and corridors is achieved using sound absorbing panels. The panel is made up of two parts, an exterior perforated wooden board fixed on top of an air cavity filled with insulating material such as mineral wool or another foam substitute. Sound penetrates the panel through the perforations where it is absorbed in the cavity. The surface perforations have been specifically designed to provide visual interest and can be placed throughout the building on corridor walls and within cells (Figure 3).
While retrofitting my design ideas into existing prisons may prove difficult on grounds of cost and space restrictions, integrating sound proofing and green walls may well be feasible and could help improve prisoner well-being and welfare. Nonetheless these extra design costs would be offset by the theorised reduction in reoffending rates, as the cost of incarcerating large numbers of people would become more manageable with a smaller prison population.
& Response
JAMES WILLIS (1987)
Professor James Willis (1987) is the Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and the Director of the Centre for Justice Leadership and Management at George Mason University, Virginia.
In The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), Jane Jacobs famously drew attention to the limits of the rational standards of effi ciency and order used by planners to design urban spaces. Based on her experience living in Greenwich Village in New York City, she refl ected on the values and principles that contributed to the kinds of neighbourhood that help improve our lives and overall sense of psychological and physical well-being. For Jacobs, healthy neighborhoods had the same dynamism and exuberance as a ballet, and had features, such as local corner stores, that provided people with the opportunity to enjoy casual, and yet meaningful social interactions. She also observed that neighborhood form had consequences for safety, as streets which bustled with diff erent people throughout the day provided an informal means of discouraging crime and disorder.
Similarly, Isabel Painter’s design adaptations challenge conceptions of prison architecture that fi xate too narrowly on notions of discipline, utility, and formal control. Like the design of urban spaces, research suggests that prison environments can have powerful eff ects on behaviors, emotional states, and perceptions, and can play a crucial role in rehabilitative treatment. For example, open housing in prison that unduly limits privacy can increase prisoner stress and aff ect mental health. Moreover, researchers have shown that windows, bright colors, and carpets can lead to fewer antisocial behaviors, such as vandalism, which undermine successful rehabilitation. Isabel’s focus on the potential benefi ts of increasing natural light, reducing unnecessary noise, minimising stress, and adding greenery opens profi table avenues for future research. To what extent does architectural design as a rehabilitative intervention cause short- or long-term reductions in reoff ending? What are the eff ects of these and other design features on prisoner safety and on mental and emotional well-being? How do these design factors help build positive relationships between prisoners and also between prisoners and prison offi cers? Anyone committed to a vision for criminal justice that seeks to minimize harm in society should be interested in learning how physical spaces within prisons can contribute to this worthy goal.
ILLUSTRATION: FLOOR PLAN OF ISABEL'S MODEL CELL BLOCK
ISABEL’S FOCUS ON THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INCREASING NATURAL LIGHT, REDUCING UNNECESSARY NOISE, MINIMIZING STRESS, AND ADDING GREENERY OPENS PROFITABLE AVENUES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.
