Reforming Brick Walls and Iron Bars
In designing and constructing
today’s prisons to house our growing
number of inmates, the best solution is rarely the brick-and-bars cellblock
plan of bygone days. Instead, the modern prison demands unique design
strategies unlike any other industrial or commercial building.
| “I’ve watched footage of prison disturbances showing fire-rated steel doors melted, security doors knocked out of solid grouted walls and complete destruction of building materials thought to be indestructible.” |
SAFEbuilt Colorado’s Jim Childs, who has inspected low to maximum security prisons for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in West Virginia, says that the hardest part of designing and building a prison is understanding why so many things are done differently than in everyday construction.
“There are many things that the average designer or contractor would never think about,” said Childs. Experience has also led prison experts, like Childs, to use a distinct set of standards for each type of facility, based on the security risk posed by its inmates.
Minimum Security
Facilities housing transitional inmates may look like a school and even have classrooms for community use. They will often have dormitory-style living arrangements and commercial-grade fixtures.Medium Security
Vandal-resistant and suicide-resistant fixtures and fittings are used in all inmate areas. Dormitory housing with shared plumbing is common, as it can save tens of thousands of dollars per inmate in construction costs. Security perimeters are used to contain inmates.Maximum Security
Sites are chosen for their remoteness and are surrounded by alarmed razor wire. The facility has multiple security perimeters, as well as medical facilities, educational classrooms, barber shops and office space.Valves, control units, sensors, exhaust systems, ducts and wiring must be kept out of secure areas whenever possible or concealed within chases. Within walls, rebar is placed every 8 inches as a containment precaution.
In the cells, lighting made of polycarbonate laminate is recessed within the concrete ceilings, toilets are self-contained, and beds are solid platforms. Designing to accommodate guards’ line-of-sight is paramount, as inmates have “nothing but time,” as Child’s puts it, to plan a potential disturbance.
Expertise Required
In all cases, prisons can be very problematic for community building officials. Designing
and building a prison is a rare occurrence, and one best handled alongside
the knowledge of someone who has gone through the process more than once.
Childs recommends seeking the best advice from prison officials with firsthand experience, and a qualified firm such as SAFEbuilt Colorado. “The key is to involve several layers of experienced prison staff and design experts in the early phases. This isn’t a business to learn by making mistakes.”
