Understanding Behavioral Effects of Penal Architecture (An Attempt to Redefine Prison Typologies in India)
Prof. Alok Ranjan
Shruthi Andru
Department of Architecture and Planning,
Malaviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur
Abstract-
The concept of crime, criminals, prisons, and jails
have been viewed as taboo. There is a general stigma
associated with prisons, especially in India. Modern
prisons are the epitome of crude architecture, that are
specifically designed to inhibit and torture the
criminal mind for even small acts of misdemeanor.
Architecture has the unique ability to invoke thought,
feelings, and emotions. Our perception of space
subconsciously affects our behavior and
temperament. The research done via this paper
showcases the effect that the prison environment has
on prisoners through various case studies and tries to
develop a design strategy to imbibe humane
architecture into prisons while justifying the idea that
architects should be actively involved in designing
the blueprint of future prisons.
Keywords: Prison Architecture, Re-incarceration,
Correctional faculties, Indian Prisons, Psychology,
Prisoner Behavior
I. INTRODUCTION
The objective of this paper is to understand the
impact that the architecture of confined spaces has on
the psychology of the individuals. It also seeks to
develop a design strategy to imbibe human
architecture and to understand how to reduce the high
reincarceration rate. The author also aims to justify
the idea that architects play a central role in the design
and development of prions.
The paper is based on research acquired from
secondary data, drawing from the analysis of
respective books, journals, case studies, interviews
and other online resources.
1 An illegal action, which is considered harmful and dangerous for the society
and be punished by the law regulations.
Need for Study: The rationale behind this study is
to understand how ideas regarding punishment and
their reflection into architecture has changed, or
remained unchanged over a period of time. As
prisons are expected to last for decades, it is also
necessary to conduct this study in order to design a
built form that accommodates and evolves with
changing ideologies over time.
II. CONCEPT OF CRIME AND
PUNISHMENT
The idea of crime1 and punishment as a concept
have existed throughout the history of mankind in
every society and culture. The outcome of
punishment revolved around some form of
isolation, confinement and control resulting in a
space known as prison2.
A. History of Incarceration System in India
The history of Incarceration can be briefly divided
into three stages.
Ancient India: Punishment often involved hanging
mutilation and death. Prisons were damp, dark dens,
without any proper means of sanitation.
Medieval India: During the Mughal and Maratha
period crimes were divided into three groups namely
offenses against God, state and private persons.
Prisoners were detained in fortresses pending trial
and judgement.
Modern India: The modern prison system operates
as a legacy of the British Rule who developed prisons
with the primary motive of imprisonment being “a
terror to wrong doers”
2 A confined space within an institution where freedom is restricted as a result
of punishment
B. Crime in India
The Indian Penal Code (IPC)3 is the main document
which lists the criminal code of India. It registers the
various acts considered as criminal acts by the
government of India and means of punishment for the
same. It was enforced in British India during the late
1800’s. The Code has since been amended several
times and is now supplemented by other criminal
provisions. (Crime in India 2019)
C. Modern Incarceration Systems in India
The Prison institutions in India comprise of 8
categories of jails. The most common and standard
jail institutions which are in existence in all States
and Union Territories are Central Jails, District Jails
and Sub Jails. The other types of jail institutions are
Women Jails, Borstal Schools, Open Jails, Special
Jails and Other Jails. (Crime in India 2019)
III. ARCHITECTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY
Spaces tend to have a character and soul of their own.
Humans perceive theses spaces as a whole. Through
perception, memory, imagination and the use of their
senses such as haptic, auditory and smell they
remember and reimagine spaces. Architecture also
has the unique ability to evoke thoughts and feelings
through various elements within the space such as
material, texture and patterns.
Architecture can impact our emotions in a positive
manner. For example, in La Sagrada Familia,
designed by Antoni Gaudi, there is a hidden
underlying image of a forest portrayed through the
pillars which mimic tree branches. Similarly, it can
also impact us in a negative way. One such example
of this is the housing-built post WW2 4. Its repetitive
box like structures influenced by the industrial
revolution consisted of monochromatic colors,
absence of detail and poorly placed windows which
led to a deterioration of mental health.
3 A comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law 4 Post-World War 2, there was a need for mass housing to keep up the demands
of the rising population 5 This theory believes that people are intrinsically motivated.to seek positive
reinforcements and avoid negative reinforcement. It also states that a person
Additionally, there are various stimuli such as scale,
proportion, amount of light entering a space and the
color scheme of the space that also influences the
psychology of the individual. As an architect, we are
responsible for creating environments that reduce
mental fatigue by designing spaces that are open,
invoke positive feelings through light and other
aspects.
IV. PENAL ARCHITECTURE AND
BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS
Environmental psychologists have conceptualized
several theories to address the human- environment
relationship. Amongst which are two main theories
namely the Social Learning Theory5 and the Social
Identity Theory6 which influence prisoner behavior.
They are important when discussing the dependence
of the inmate on the predictability and structure of the
prison layout and system. It is also important when
discussing the prevalence of gang relationships in
prison societies. They help us understand how prison
architecture inadvertently hinders their reintegration
back into society.
Apart from social interaction; privacy, personal
space, overcrowding, stimuli and aesthetic characters
are also common problems of correctional
infrastructure.
Privacy and Personal Space: Privacy allows
humans to grow and emerge from traumatic events
through understanding and reflection. Thus, it plays
a vital role in the design of. correctional facilities. It
allows prisoners to accept and understand their
mistakes and move towards rehabilitation.
Additionally, humans also need to maintain optimal
levels if interpersonal space during social interactions
to function normally. In most modern-day
penitentiaries, the lack of privacy and personal space
becomes the defining concepts of incarceration,
stripping the individual of their sense of self. To
believes that the rewards and outcomes are determined by either luck or others with more power than themselves. 6 This theory is a social psychological analysis.of the role of self-conception in
a group membership, group processes and intergroup relations. It proposes that when acting in groups we define.ourselves in terms of our group membership
compensate for this loss, inmates become aggressive
and increase territorial behavior.
Light and Windows: Light affects melatonin which
impacts human’s circadian rhythm. Windows not
only regulate the amount of light but also provide a
view to the outside world which reduces stress. In
prions, windows tend to have a negative effect as the
inmate feels exposed. Often times these windows are
so small that they don’t allow for optimal ventilation.
Color and Exposure to Nature: They influence
one’s mood, behavior and their perception with
regard to the space, texture, temperature and odor
through psychological and.physiological effects. The
dull grey color of concrete walls often negatively
impacts the prisoner, encompassing him within the
space.
V. PROMINENT PRISON CONCEPTS AND
DESIGNS
Over the years Prison Architecture has evolved due
to the changing incarceration systems and methods.
Prison architecture can be studied on the basis of its
design and geometry namely lateral type, radial type,
cruciform type, triangular type, telephone pole
design, courtyard design and campus design. It can
also be examined on the basis of the various models
upon which the prison layout has been designed such
as the safety model, the repressive model and the
rehabilitation model.
Overall, there have been three major prison concepts
or institutions which have led to the to the evolution
of prison architecture today namely:
i. Bentham’s Panopticon
ii. The Pennsylvania Model
iii. The New Generation Design
VI. CASE STUDIES
The case studies are mainly divided into three main
categories namely, Prisons in India, Prisons in an
Urban Context and Prisons with Reformative
Attributes. The case studies analyze four aspects.
i. Morphology
ii. Architecture features
iii. Functional and Spatial Organization
iv. Level of Security (Emberson, 2016)
Prison Architecture Concept Effect on the prisoner
Bentham’s Panopticon Circular shaped structure,
consisting of 6 tiers of prison cells
and in the center is a tall
observatory guard tower
The idea was that the prisoners
would never be able to tell that
they were being watched, they
would always be visible to the
guards due to the architectural
layout
The idea of always being watched
over created a sense .of anxiety and
omnipresence over them. The idea
revolved around obtaining power
over the mind
The Pennsylvania Model The prison was designed to house
solidarity cells of 4.9 by 3.7
by2.3m with an 8-inch window for
light, 16 ft ceilings and an
attached exercise yard.
The major concept of this system
was to cut off the prisoners from
human contact, to provide solitary
confinement
The psychological principal of social
isolation was used which prevented
the prisoners from reintegrating back
into society.
New Generation Design Triangular shaped plan which has
26 stories and each floor was
divided into pods for 40-60
inmates. The guards lived with the
inmates
The major concept of this system
was direct supervision. There was
an attempt to establish greater
contact among officer and
prisoner
The increased contact between
prisoners and guards led to a positive
relationship and the staff recognized
violence and was able to respond
better.
Table 1: Analysis of Prominent Prison Concepts
Table 2: Analysis of Case Studies
VII. INFERENCES
A. Inferences from Case Studies
An analysis of the prison systems, from the case
studies, shows that depending on the justice system,
the prison environments tend to drastically change.
Within the Indian incarceration system, both
Yerwada Central Jail and Arthur road jail are prime
examples of a punitive model. The objective of both
prisons is based on incapacitation, isolation and fear.
The prisoners are kept busy in order to avoid conflict.
They are often kept in congested cells with
detrimental standards of living.
But what the government fails to realize is that this
defeats the very purpose for which the prison was
built for. The recidivism rate has risen over the years
and there is in an increase in crime and violence
within the prison. There are very little opportunities
available to the prisoner to progress in life, after he
has been released, in terms of acquiring education or
work.
At first glance, it may not be obvious but European
prisoners too are punished for their crimes. While
these prison layouts have designs that appear lavish
or ‘too humane’, they work by inducing remorse and
responsibility, which is found to be more effective
than those environments causing cynicism and
resentment. They are proof that punishment does not
have to be degrading and physical. (Fowler)
Here focus is placed on creating an environment for
reflection and rehabilitation while maintaining a
strict schedule. This allows the prisoner to reflect on
their crimes and solve underlying mental health
conditions.
For obvious reasons, one cannot expect to maintain
prison standards in India, at par with what are
followed in European countries. The prison
population and incarceration rates of India are ten
times that of Europe. Moreover, it has a completely
different prison culture; gang culture that exists in
India which is not present there. However, there are
still concepts of design that we can implement within
the Indian prison system.
B. Rehabilitation and Design Intent Inferred
From the case studies, a new model of prison can be
inferred and designed based on rehabilitation. As an
architect we can focus on some key attributes that can
be incorporated into new designs.
Location: The prisons should be moved from rural
areas to urban suburbs. This would allow for better
prisoner-visitor relationships and the prison can also
have access to facilities that are not easily available
in rural areas.
Autonomy: A certain degree of freedom should be
allowed within the prison campus. Instead of
maintaining control upon the prisoners through
overcrowded rooms and invasion of privacy,
vigilance can be maintained through the use of
electronic control devices. Interaction between
inmates and guards should also be promoted which
could lead to surveillance through trust.
Relationship of the cell with the campus: The
inmate cell should no longer be considered as a
central element in a prison campus. Instead, it should
work on incorporating facilities such as sports
complex, libraries, vocational centers and the prison
campus should be viewed as a reformative school
rather than a confined space.
Exterior Spaces: The exteriors of the prison and its
campus should be designed with suitable aesthetics
and with sufficient greenery, which incorporate a
range of outdoor activities and recreational zones.
Design of the Cell: The size of the cell should be
sufficient to maintain privacy and personal space,
with each inmate receiving approximately 6m2 of
space. Additionally, prison interiors should use bright
colors. Prison cells should avoid long narrow
corridors and instead designs should include
staggered plans increasing the inmate’s exposure to
natural light. (Bernheimer, 2017)
VIII. CONCLUSION
A society that is free of crime is a utopian dream, one
that seems nearly impossible to achieve. But a society
which promotes the need for reformation, where the
facility of rehabilitation is provided to offenders, is
possibly an easier and safer concept to grasp.
The construction of prison systems is influenced by
several ideologies. We cannot change the ideologies,
particularly those relating to aim and justification of
punishment, as there are several governing bodies
responsible for setting these standards. However, as
architects we can incorporate a new idea of
normalization within the Indian Prison Architectural
program. A system can be designed where the prison
facility displays some resemblance of a ‘normal life’.
We could utilize the modern tools such as technology
that is easily available to us to monitor prisoners and
do away with the notion of confined spaces.
Furthermore, we could encourage movement of
prisoners, utilizing design principles to do so. As
architects we have the power to change the spatial
program of an institution. We can add more
recreational activities, which would help prisoners
reduce anxiety and manage excess energy and
aggression. By incorporating passive and active
spaces within the prison facility, we can provide an
environment where the inmates can heal.
Hence, we should recognize the impact. that
architecture has on the human soul. and spirit, and as
architects we should utilize this favorably to design
prisons and concurrently accomplish both goals,
inmate retribution.and rehabilitation.
IX. REFERENCES
Bernheimer, L. (2017). Wellbeing in Prison Design: A guide. Matter
Architecture.
(n.d.). Crime in India 2019. National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of
Home Affairs.
DOKGÖZ, G. D. (2002). Prison Architecture: A Typological Analysis
of Spatial Organizations in respect to Punishment Systems.
İzmir Institute of Technology İzmir, Turkey.
Elisabeth Fransson, F. G. (2018). Prison Architecture and Humans.
Cappelen Damm Akademisk / NOASP.
Emberson, J. S. ( 2016). The Architecture of Confinement: Positively
Influencing Rehabilitation and Reintegration. University of
Hawaii, School of Architecture.
Fowler, M. (n.d.). The Human Factor in Prison Design: Contrasting
Prison Architecture in the United States and Scandinavia.
Iowa State University.
Hoffs, B. (2014). Begin again: new prison design which supports the
process of rehabilitation. B. A. M, Eindhoven University of
Technology.
Raju, D. ((2014) ). Historical Evolution of Prison System in India.
Department of History and Archeology, Tumkur University.
Vessella, L. (2017). Open Prison Architecture:Design Criteria for a
New Prison Typology. Italy: University of Florence.