The Environmental Psychology of Prisons and Jails: Creating Humane Spaces in Secure Settings [Paperback]

This book distils thirty years of research on the impacts of jail and prison environments.Jails and prisons are the only settings in which people are held against their will, possibly for long periods of time, and often with no pretense of doing so for their personal benefit. Occupants have little if any control over their lives, as, for instance, the most basic assumptions about privacy to dress, shower, and use the toilet are violated. This book addresses the impact of environmental design on inmates and staff members in jails and prisons and shows how design can dramatically affect the level of stress and violence.Jails and prisons are the only settings in which people are held against their will, possibly for long periods of time, and often with no pretense of doing so for their personal benefit. Occupants have little if any control over their lives, as, for instance, the most basic assumptions about privacy to dress, shower, and use the toilet are violated. This book addresses the impact of environmental design on inmates and staff members in jails and prisons and shows how design can dramatically affect the level of stress and violence.This book distills thirty years of research on the impacts of jail and prison environments. The research program began with evaluations of new jails that were created by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which had a novel design intended to provide a nontraditional and safe environment for pretrial inmates, and documented the stunning success of these jails in reducing tension and violence. This book uses assessments of this new model as a basis for considering the nature of environment and behavior in correctional settings, and more broadly in all human settings. It provides a critical review of research on jail environments and of specific issues critical to the way they are experienced and places them in historical and theoretical context. It presents a contextual model for the way environment influences the chance of violence.ForelS"