The Architecture of Confinement: Positively Influencing Rehabilitation and Reintegration

Abstract

Environments for human habitation must be carefully designed to fulfill the needs of the intended occupants. There is no exception when addressing correctional institution design. This dissertation is presented on prison typology to explore what impact design has on the psychology of its users. High recidivism rates in US prisons show that our current system is not working. Learning from the effects of the environmental psychology of design, architectural spatial influences can have a positive effect on the rehabilitation of inmates. A collaborative approach between designers and environmental psychologists has the potential to lead to a powerful approach to reformative architecture for correctional institutions. The initial hypothesis is that by creating this new prison typology, through designing quality spaces benefiting a reflective environment, recidivism rates can be reduced, and a more successful rehabilitation infrastructure can accomplished through architecture. The purpose of this research is to understand and address the fundamental needs of a prison system, and analyze what improvements can be made to the system through architectural and interior design. Local, national and global precedents will be studied to gain perspective on various design solutions. The research will be balanced with an in-depth study into the psychology of the environment and its effect on human behavior. This research will aid in addressing what is the architect’s social responsibility in prison design and will develop and deepen this body of knowledge to improve design solutions that may used as a new typology of correctional architecture locally here in Hawaii.