The contemporary model of prison architecture: Spatial response to the re-socialization programme

The history of prison architecture concerns the development of various design formats. In contemporary terms, punishment and re-socialization are the two equally important purposes of a prison institution. Rightfully, the contemporary model of prison architecture may be viewed, inter alia, as a spatial response to the re-socialization programme. Based on a comprehensive literature review, critical discussion, and scientific description, this paper defines the main qualitative elements of prison architecture, which responds to the requirements for re-socialization of inmates, and further explains the way in which each response is provided. From these architectural and design attributes, a list of 30 indicators of the spatial response to re-socialization was established. Furthermore, by using the derived indicators, a comparative analysis of four contemporary European prisons was conducted. The results showed both similarities and differences in the spatial response to the re-socialization programme, indicating that the spatial potential for re-socialization of inmates may be developed by using various approaches to prison design.