Building Justice: Imagining a Political Agenda

Abstract

Reform of US incarceration facilities is a moral imperative that requires the integration of aspects of community planning, architecture, and legal and political agendas. The complexity of the challenge has only increased over time as legal and social structures including urban planning processes become more established. This paper examines the psychological impact of the built environment to define a criteria for psychologically health architectural conditions of incarceration. An embedded multiple case study analysis is used to compare efforts to improve the architecture of incarceration facilities in Skagit County, WA, federal guidance, and New York City Justice Hubs. Interviews conducted for this paper included planners, architects, and representatives of Washington States Department of Corrections.