Prioritizing indoor/outdoor connectivity has been shown to be restorative for persons in custody. Photo Credit: BKV Group

The current carceral justice system in the United States of punishment and punitive practices has resulted in the country leading the world with more than 735,000 people in custody at county-run jails, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center report. Although jail design has evolved through the years from linear/intermittent supervision to podular/remote supervision and podular/direct supervision, both of which prioritize safety and security, the environments created maintain the carceral ethos, resulting in spaces that can be physically and psychologically harmful.

Standard jail configurations typically have bad acoustics, little privacy, limited daylighting with no views to the outside, harsh artificial lighting, few colors, hard materials like concrete and concrete block, and institutional furnishings in fixed configurations that are not conducive to social activities. On top of that, the unsafe living conditions created by overcrowding, obsolete facility design and atypical patterns of living and interacting are inherently damaging to the mental health of both inmates and staff.

A post-carceral future in the jail is about shifting to a new paradigm – from punishing and punitive to healing and restorative, with the goal of reinforcing the dignity and human worth of each resident.

In designing a new facility or improving an existing jail, a full range of environmental factors should be considered to prioritize the well-being of all building occupants, including inmates, while maintaining safety and security:

Reimagining a post-carceral future won’t be easy – a lot of change is required. However, the shift from a carceral model of punishment to a therapeutic model focused on rehabilitation can be accomplished through many of these new approaches to architectural design.

Henry Pittner, AIA, Partner, Justice Practice Leader, BKV Group, is an award-winning licensed architect, author and presenter who has gained national recognition for his leadership managing, programming, planning and designing government projects. With more than 39 years of experience, he has led more than 70 projects in 12 states for city, county and state clients including court facilities, detention facilities, law enforcement centers and government centers.