NCJ Number
185121
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 112-117
Date Published
July 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes a few correctional facility design-related issues that are important in the reduction of harm to correctional staff.
Abstract
The majority of correctional facilities are designed with secure control rooms in housing areas, visitor processing areas, and central control locations. Most of these control rooms lack design features that make them safe places for staff to work. Every control room should have a path of safe escape. In the rare occurrence that the loss of a control room is possible, the staff must be provided with a secure path to exit the room without going through inmate-occupied areas. Two effective options are isolated control room entry and an escape ladder to the roof. Whether the direct or indirect supervision model is used in providing housing pod control, a secure area or control room should be provided with clear sight lines into all areas of the housing unit and that can control door locking systems and other controls. A control room should have control of doors into the pods. The control rooms should be isolated from surrounding spaces. They should be sealed off so they are not affected by conditions in the adjacent spaces. Shutting off power to living areas should not affect the control room's ability to function. Further, spaces should be designed throughout a facility that can serve as safe havens for staff if there is a disturbance. Other design issues discussed in this article pertain to weapons use and access, staff support, and positive staff and inmate identification.