The environmental psychology of prisons and jails : creating humane spaces in secure settings /

Winston Churchill famously noted: "First we shape our buildings, then they shape us." He was referring to the Parliament building, but what if the structures referred to were prisons? How do prisons and jails shape their occupants? Until now, this reasonable question has rarely been subjected to broad analysis. Wener (environmental psychology, Polytechnic Institute of New York Univ.) has studied correctional buildings for three decades and has had a role in a new form of prison design called direct supervision (DS). In earlier years, prisoners would be ensconced in lengthy rows of cells where surveillance was poor. In the next generation, correction officers sat behind transparent barriers watching prisoners in their pods. By contrast, DS places the unarmed correction officer in the space with prisoners. Wener finds that this design is economical, safe, and psychologically softer. He also discusses such environmental prison issues as noise, light, access to nature, and the effects of isolation. Better than DS would be individual cells for evening lockdowns and common dayrooms. But that option is too expensive, the author opines. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. R. D. McCrie John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY