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Article Link 7.1: Beijersbergen, Karin A., Anja J. E. Dirkzwager, Peter H. van der Laan, and Paul Nieuwbeerta (2014). A Social Building? Prison Architecture and Staff-Prison Relationships. Crime & Delinquency, 1-32.

Relationships between correctional officers and prisoners are crucial to life in prison, and affect prison order and prisoners’ well-being. Research on factors influencing staff–prisoner relationships is scarce and has not included the design of prison buildings. This study examined the association between prison architecture and prisoners’ perceptions of their relationships with officers. Data were used from the Prison Project, a large-scale study in which 1,715 prisoners held in 117 units in 32 Dutch remand centers were surveyed. Multilevel analyses showed that prison layout was related to officer–prisoner relationships: Prisoners in panopticon layouts were less positive than prisoners in other layouts. In addition, prisoners housed in older units and in units with more double cells were less positive about officer–prisoner interactions.

1. Why are inmate-staff relationships important in prison?
2. How do prison designs affect prisoners’ perspectives of their relationships with staff?
3. How can correctional agencies use these findings to improve inmate-staff relationships?
    

Article Link 7.2: Morris, Robert G. and John L. Worrall (2014). Prison Architecture and Inmate Misconduct: A Multilevel Assessment. Crime & Delinquency, 60(7): 1083-1109.

Researchers have not yet devoted sufficient attention to the effect of prison architecture on inmate misconduct. Using data from the population of male prisoners in Texas, the authors explored the association between two prison architectural design types (as determined by satellite imagery) and inmate misconduct. The results from multilevel statistical analyses suggest that architectural design is associated with nonviolent misconduct but not violent misconduct. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed. 

1. How can prison architecture affect inmate behavior?
2. Why is prison architecture associated with nonviolent misconduct but not violent misconduct?
3. What are the implications of this study for correctional facilities?