The Institute (協会)

I want to question having prisons altogether. I think some of the Theonomist penalties, such as double restitution for theft, make a lot more sense than sending someone to jail.

Hmm.

It isn't just prisons, but public schools that often have this cell block type construction. Foucault has an essay called "The Panopticon" where he discusses the central observation style prison where the guards are in the center looking out at rows and columns of prisoners - always watching, and always appearing to watch even when they are not. That article actually made me think of schools when I read it, but it is a helpful observation about architecture and sociology.

I worry about our not having prisons altogether - some criminals are legitimately mentally ill and are accountable for their actions in a different way than other criminals. Restitution won't cut it for a guy like Lenny in Of Mice and Men and neither does the death penalty seem like the penalty that is most appropriate for him.

But the nature of those prisons is a problem as men learn to live like animals - compare prison to the army. Both are rigorous, but the latter seems to make men into disciplined, proud individuals while the former tends to confirm and incubate the worst suspicions of criminals about the "system." Prison time is easy for some, hard for others, but all live in a Skinner-box of stimuli and response where their human natures were not designed by the creator to thrive. Recitivism rates are extremely high in the absence of special programs that give prisoners a trade or a sense of manhood.

Anyway, I don't know how comfortable a prison needs to be, but I know that it should be safe for the prisoners - heaven forbid a child of mine should have to go to prison, but if he does, is being sodomized really an appropriate experience for a common thief or cheat to endure? At the same time, prisons are the ultimate final resort to provide the parenting that people never received or never were even offered. Paternalism at its best. No one in prison needs to be reminded that they've been humbled, they just have to be taught to channel that humility into service of others, their families, taking responsibility, etc. Otherwise, humility turns into humiliation which just results in a criminal version of rebellion against parents. And so how about a prison where men are taught how to be adults? If architecture can aid that process, then it should be used. "Hard time" is great, but adult life is hard itself - it is much easier to surrender ones freedom than to take responsibility. And prison shouldn't allow people to escape self-discipline. I think prisons are just plain broken for the most part.

I agree with his correlation between architecture and worldview. I heard a lecture by Brian Walsh a few years ago (who with Richard Middleton wrote "Transforming Vision" a popular Christian Worldview tome) speaking on architecture and worldview, using the specific examples of Native Canadians who were "homeless" when they moved into little apartments in a city when their whole worldview was community and family oriented. Anyway, I think it something worth thinking about. And his ideas for a new prison mostly don't sound too extreme.

It looks to me like Alsop is responding to the centuries-old hangovers re: prison design drawn from the philosophy of Jeremy Bentham and his idea of a Panopticon, to break men down and refashion them again.

Well said by all--especially that we don't need to be filling prisons with nonviolent offenders, only to have them brutally raped by those who are violent.

Architecture certainly has a place in teaching offenders how to be human, but there are much bigger fish to fry here.

I agree with the first poster; I don't really think that prisons are even necessary. If there was more of an emphasis on restitution and community service and for the very bad crimes (serial rapists, murderers, etc) a quicker death sentence, I think you would see a drop in the crime rates. The way the system is set up now, it only feeds its self and gets worse. Plus the expense on the country's resources is quite high.

Freakin' retarded.
Where are the chain gangs and work gangs of the past? Prison is punishment not a vacation. And guess what, we are paying for their magazines and cable tv.

Fellas, great discussion. Very thought provoking stuff. Barlow, I especially like the stuff about schools!

The prison system is so broken that this would certainly be worth a try.