INDUSTRY ADVOCACY
Redefining Public Safety in Correctional Facilities: Beyond the False Choice
Moving away from incapacitation and containment to designing facilities that protect communities by transforming lives—not just controlling them By Brian Lovins, Ph.D. For decades, our correctional system has operated under a fundamental misconception: That maximizing
immediate security and control must come at the expense of the conditions that promote long-term success. This false dichotomy has shaped everything from facility architecture to operational policies,
creating a self-defeating cycle where the pursuit of short-term safety actively undermines true long-term public safety. The evidence is clear: Our current approach has failed on both fronts.
Correctional staff experience some of the highest rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among all professions, with life expectancies significantly below the general population. Meanwhile, the national re-arrest rate for formerly incarcerated people hovers around 70%—a damning indictment of the system’s inability to fulfill its most basic public safety mandate.
Reframing the Conversation: Security and Wellness as Mutually Reinforcing Goals It’s time to recognize a powerful truth: Environments that promote human dignity and wellness are inherently more secure. This isn’t idealism—it’s pragmatic, and supported by evidence from both domestic and international correctional models. Designing facilities with clear sightlines that preserve dignity and personal space doesn’t mean sacrificing security for comfort—it means reducing the psychological pressures that fuel violence and self-harm. When we incorporate The dayroom of the north housing unit at James A. Musick Facility in Orange County, Calif., is designed with natural light and color to maximize the health and rehabilitation of the occupants. | Photo Credit: Kim Rodgers
TITAN STANDS FOR AMERICAN QUALITY DOORS • FRAMES • WALLS SLIDERS • CEILINGS • WINDOWS
T I TA N S T E E L D O O R . C O M 14 | www.correctionalnews.com | may - june 2025
natural light, appropriate acoustics and thoughtful color schemes, we aren’t prioritizing aesthetics over function— we’re creating environments that reduce stress-induced aggression and support the mental health of everyone in the facility. There is a fundamental contradiction in our current approach: We place people in environments known to increase trauma, aggression and mental deterioration, then expect those same environments to prepare them for a law-abiding life in the community. We subject our staff to chronically stressful, dehumanizing workplaces, then express surprise at high turnover rates and diminished performance.
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