Prison Design: Between Pragmatic Engagement and the Dream of Decarceration

Abstract

This chapter is a critical review of contemporary architectural practice in custodial design, using the cornerstone concept of critical prison design. The text is in three main sections. First, presenting the intrinsically problematic nature of prison design and relating it to the reference literature. Second, spelling out the implications of addressing prison design critically. Finally, discussing seven case studies, which, to a greater or lesser degree, successfully address critical prison design. In our view, engaging in critical prison design implies addressing three fundamental concerns. First, actively pursuing the visibility of current and visionary penitentiary realities through incorporating prison design into general design discourses. Second, using design to generate significant improvements in the living conditions of inmates, workers, and visitors. Third, problematising confinement and actively working towards decarceration. This last concern lends itself to two avenues of design-based research: innovative and experimental design proposals to challenge dominant views on detention; and a push for the adaptive reuse of existing custodial facilities, suggesting socially desirable uses for the prison’s heterotopic qualities. The chapter’s fundamental aim is to present the possibilities (and limitations) of architectural design as a critical practice, while actively contributing to a progressive debate on custodial spaces, institutions and practices.