NCJ Number
83720
Date Published
1981
Length
47 pages
Annotation
Five case examples are presented with illustrations to demonstrate the feasibility of renovating existing commercial and residential buildings to accommodate such typical juvenile services as shelter care, intake holding, counseling, alternative education, and career education.
Abstract
These examples show that alternatives to jail can be implemented without excessive costs even when physical structures are necessary. The selection of a suitable existing building should be based on the same effort which goes into the design and construction of a new building. Factors which should be considered in choosing a building include ease of access by users, the general quality of the surrounding neighborhood, the building's structural condition, the ease of adaptation, purchase and rehabilitation costs, and compliance with local ordinances. The design of the renovation should avoid using spatial arrangements and building materials which would convey an impression that the buildings are institutions or justice facilities. The buildings should be perceived as open and noncoercive to prevent the antisocial behavior which may result from perceptions of the environment as restrictive or unconcerned with well-being. The five case examples include the renovation of a low-rise commercial/retail building into a shelter care facility, the renovation of a bank into an intake service center, the provision of a counseling center which includes several different types of spaces, the renovation of a small commercial building into a center for alternative education, and the transformation of a small apartment building into a center for a career education program. Checklists, floor plans, and an appendix presenting a checklist for evaluating a structure are included.