How Architectural Agency Shapes Prison Environments and Impacts Behavior
Buildings can significantly influence the behavior of their users in various ways, often sparking controversy or debate. I will focus on a specific polemic example showcasing how buildings can change user behavior. The best example that I feel impacts society and is often ignored is prison Design. Traditional prison design, particularly exemplified by older prisons, has a substantial impact on the behavior of prisoners. Traditional prison architecture often features cellblocks or wings arranged in a hierarchical and regimented layout.
This design aims to exert control and surveillance over inmates. Cells are usually small, providing minimal personal space, and arranged in a way that allows for constant monitoring by guards from centralized positions like guard towers or central corridors. The strict spatial arrangement reinforces the sense of confinement and control. In these designs, individual cells often lack natural light, privacy, and space for personal belongings. Inmates are isolated for extended periods, leading to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and a loss of connection to the outside world. The lack of stimulation and limited contact with others can lead to heightened stress and mental health issues.
Traditional prison designs emphasize routine and control. Inmates have restricted movement and strict schedules for activities such as meals, recreation, and visits. This structured environment aims to regulate behavior and maintain order but can also lead to a sense of monotony and powerlessness. The architectural layout reinforces the power dynamics within the prison. It instills a sense of constant surveillance, potentially leading to self-regulation of behavior by prisoners to avoid punishment or scrutiny.
The design of traditional prisons often focuses more on security than on rehabilitation. This emphasis on containment rather than on programs aimed at reform and reintegration can hinder efforts to address the root causes of criminal behavior and reduce recidivism. However, these designs have been criticized for their potential to worsen psychological issues, hinder rehabilitation efforts, and perpetuate a cycle of incarceration rather than fostering positive behavioral change.
The Panopticon is a prison architectural concept developed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. Jeremy Bentham was an influential British philosopher and social reformer, known for his utilitarian philosophy emphasizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number. He is well recognized for proposing the concept of the Panopticon, a prison design intended for constant surveillance, influencing architectural and disciplinary thinking. The Panopticon concept aimed to create a sense of constant surveillance and control over inmates, impacting their behavior profoundly. The central idea of the Panopticon was a circular structure with cells arranged around a central tower. The tower allowed a single watchman to observe all the prisoners without them knowing whether they were being watched at any given moment.
The impact on behavior was the constant feeling of being under surveillance, leading prisoners to modify their actions, often self-regulating their behavior to align with expected norms. This design aimed at inducing a sense of omnipresence, potentially causing inmates to internalize control mechanisms and alter their conduct, fostering a
more compliant or disciplined environment. However, this design has sparked ethical debates about the implications of constant surveillance and its effects on human psychology and rights.
A good example of the Panopticon concept was Rikers Island in New York City. This prison had a reputation for outdated facilities, violence among inmates and reports of excessive use of force by guards. Conditions at Rikers Island were deemed inhumane, with reports of inadequate healthcare, poor sanitation, and instances of abuse against prisoners. The facilities lacked proper ventilation and natural light. Over the years, human rights organizations, and legal experts raised concerns about Rikers Island's architecture and the negative impact it had on inmates' mental and physical well-being. In response to these ongoing issues. There are calls for reform and eventually a plan to close the jail complex, aiming to replace it with smaller, safer, fairer and more modern facilities designed to improve conditions for inmates and staff.
On the other hand an example of modern prison architecture that has positively impacted inmate behavior is the Halden Prison in Norway. Halden Prison is in OSyfold, southern Norway. The prison was completed in 2010 with a belief that incarceration should only result in the loss of liberty; all other rights and privileges accorded to citizens should continue to apply to offenders.
Halden Prison is renowned for its innovative design focused on rehabilitation and humane treatment of inmates. The architecture emphasizes natural light, open spaces, and modern amenities resembling a more homelike environment rather than a traditional prison setting. The prison features private cells with personal bathrooms, and ample access to communal areas, such as kitchens, workshops, and recreational spaces, fostering a sense of responsibility and trust among inmates. This design encourages social interaction, education, vocational training, and various rehabilitation programs, contributing to lower rates of violence, better mental health outcomes, and higher chances of successful reintegration into society upon release.
The architectural difference between Halden Prison in Norway and Rikers Island in New York starkly demonstrates how design profoundly influences human behavior within correctional facilities. Halden Prison, with its emphasis on rehabilitation and humane living conditions, represents a major shift in prison architecture. Its focus on natural light, open spaces, and individualized cells with modern amenities fosters a sense of dignity and responsibility among inmates, encouraging rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. In contrast, Rikers Island's outdated and overcrowded facilities, lacking adequate sanitation and natural light, perpetuated a hostile environment, fostering violence, despair, and further criminal behavior. The architectural choices between these two institutions highlight how thoughtful design, with an emphasis on humanizing spaces, not only shapes behavior but also significantly impacts the prospects for successful reintegration into society upon release.
References:
Jeremy Bentham | https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bentham/
We are closing Rikers Island | https://rikers.cityofnewyork.us/
A Timeline on the Closure of Rikers Island | https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/11/timeline-closure-rikers-island/376662/
Hell Cage | https://www.the-sun.com/news/447854/harvey-weinstein-rikers-island-jail-inmates-stabbed/
How Norway designed a more humane prison | https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architectural-community/a9023-how-norway-designed-a-more-humane-prison/
