Human Response to Prison and Institutional Environments

Challenges of Human Response in Interior of Prison and Institutional

In my class on prison and institutional design, I came across some very interesting facts about prisons.  Historically, the conditions of the prisons were very poor, where they had mixed inmates of men, women and children (fig.1).  The lighting was very limited and the prisons were usually located in the basements or in tower.  It is also said that prison are a combination of workhouse, poor house and jail.  The HM Prison Wandsworth, United Kingdom, is an example of a workhouse jail (discipline plus work), where the objective was to install a habit of industry.  The prison was built in 1851 when it was known as "Surrey House of Correction". The Inmates had to farm and produce products that were sold in the market (fig.2). 

It was very interesting to see early prison designs.  Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an English advocate of the prison reform, also the founder of “Panopticon” prison design.  The prison was designed in circular form, with all the cells located around the radius of the structure (fig.3).  Bentham invented a watchtower at the center of the space, so the guards could see all the inmates with ease.  However, due to security problems most of the Panopticon prisons have been closed.

In the United State of America, There are different types of prisons for different level of security (max, medium and minimum.)  The common objectives of all levels of secure prisons are to organize and operate to minimize the possibility of escape and violence, impose limitation on movement and freedom of inmates.   However, as the security level reduces, the freedom and movement would increase.   I have different feelings about the idea of having different prisons for different level of security.  For example, if ones were to be moved from a medium level to a minimum level of secure prison, they would have to be transported from one to the other, which in turn would increase the chance for them to escape.   Therefore, having a prison with different levels of security would greatly reduce the chance of escape, as the transportation between levels would still be inside the prison.  Hence, introducing security gates in between spaces could further increase order and security within prison. 

In addition to designing for safety and security, the selection of furniture and materials are also essential.  Designers should consider using fixed furniture that does not have any sharp edges.  This would greatly reduce the chance of inmates using furniture as a weapon during riot (fig.4).  I also feel that by incorporating nature into prison’s environment could help create calmness to the inmates, which in turn might help reduce the chances of fights and riot.  I believe in making a better living environment could help to reduce the hatred and anger inside the inmates, creating a happier environment could promote them to change the way they treat themselves and others, bettering themselves as a person.  The following images are examples of living environments inside different prisons.