how prison architecture played role in social development

Prison design boycott aims to slow growth of correctional facilities

Protesting what it calls the moral bankruptcy and rampant growth of our nation's prison system, San Francisco-based Architects/ Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) has organized a boycott on the design, construction, and renovation of U.S. prisons.

The group, which has about 300 members, began the boycott in September 2004 and has signed up just over 300 participants, most of them in the design fields (not all members of ADPSR). The group's president, Raphael Sperry, an architect at 450 Architects in San Francisco, says participants can help voice disapproval of the prison system's treatment of inmates, and its inherent racial and social inequalities. But he points out that the effort is meant most of all to help stem the incredible growth of prisons in the U.S. Sperry claims prison populations have grown almost sevenfold in the past 30 years, while he estimates that at least half the prisons in this country were built during that time.

Sperry says he doubts the boycott will quickly halt the creation of new prisons, noting that if architects stop work, then prisons could enlist engineers to construct them. But if the boycott takes hold, he says, the lack of new prisons will force officials to enact prison reform "instead of using prisons as a one-size-fits-all solution to social problems." He adds, "If we keep increasing the number of prisons, we'll never be able to deal with the real problems that lead to crime." He is quick to point out that the goal of the boycott is not, however, to let dangerous criminals out of jail.

Whether the boycott succeeds or not, Sperry, who emphasizes that he doesn't blame architects for prisons' problems (he notes most are trying to improve conditions but are part of a flawed system), is confident that the voice of architects could slowly begin to sway public opinion against the system and the proliferation of prisons. "If we want to realize our vision for what the built environment should be like, we need to take leadership," he says.

Edward Spooner, chairman of the AIA's Academy of Architecture for Justice, says that while he admires Sperry's desire to take a stand on prison issues, he calls the boycott a "disservice."

"To abandon our clients and not build new facilities will have a disastrous effect on individuals who are inside," he says, noting that fixing the system's problems is a better idea than walking out on it.

"If I were to advocate something, I'd advocate building facilities that deal more effectively with the issues that the prison population is in the facility for." This includes a stronger focus on education, vocational training, and treatment services.

Spooner, who questions Sperry's figures (noting that prison-population increases keep up with overall population increases), adds that those involved with prison design and the prison system itself are doing everything they can to remedy problems. "This is a group of people with real understanding of the problems of prisons, and a sincere desire to do the best job they can. I don't think that the best job they can do would be to let all these people out on the street."