Correctional facilities are more than secure containment—today, they are home to some of the most mentally ill individuals in our society. While this was not the original intent of prisons, it is our current reality, and we must respond accordingly. As a clinical psychologist embedded in correctional systems for the past twelve years, I have witnessed firsthand how the environment can either support healing or exacerbate suffering. The physical space can advance my work or interfere with what I am meant to do. This article explores how the built environment impacts behavioral health outcomes and offers guidance for justice architects and administrators seeking to create safer, more therapeutic spaces.
The Behavioral Health Crisis Behind Bars
Today’s incarcerated population is older, sicker, and more psychologically vulnerable than ever before. The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals, the criminalization of homelessness, and the tendency for individuals with serious mental illness to respond with flight (“escape”) or fight (“assault” or “battery”) during police encounters have led to a crisis: there are now three times more mentally ill people in U.S. jails and prisons than in psychiatric hospitals. This demands urgent attention.
Design for All
First, it’s important to recognize that everyone has mental health—as everyone has physical health. Just as we may experience aches and pains without having a specific medical diagnosis, we all encounter emotional struggles the same way; not everyone who faces mental health challenges meets the criteria for a formal disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) offers a shared language and standardized criteria for nearly 300 diagnoses, but these categories are tools for treatment planning and continuity of care—not labels that define us. Regardless of diagnosis, even the healthiest individuals need certain basic conditions to maintain and nurture their wellbeing.
Basic Human Needs
- Autonomy: The ability to make decisions and personalize one’s space.
- Stimuli: Access to nature, views, and varied environments to reduce boredom and agitation.
- Humane Treatment: Environments that convey dignity and respect.
These needs are foundational to a sense of control, safety, and ultimately, rehabilitation. Facilities that meet these needs will see lower rates of violence, self-harm, and staff turnover—even if prisons return to serving their original purpose.
Second, those with severe and persistent mental illness require tailored design responses:
- Trauma and PTSD: Trauma-informed design emphasizes dignity, safety, and empowerment. Spaces should minimize shame and defensiveness, offering privacy, choice, and opportunities for self-expression.
- Serious Mental Illness (SMI): Individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or delusional disorders benefit from environments that reduce sensory overload and promote engagement. Features like soft furnishings, visual cues, and access to nature can make life more bearable for those with heightened internal stimuli.
- Personality Disorders: Conditions such as antisocial and borderline personality disorder are prevalent in corrections. These individuals need safe spaces with clear boundaries, anti-ligature features, group and individual treatment spaces, and staff who can enforce behavioral plans.
Behaviorism and Behavior Plans
Behaviorism is a psychological approach that teaches that how we behave is shaped by rewards and consequences. If an incarcerated person receives a conduct report (positive punishment) each time they punch someone, the belief is that they will stop punching. Conversely, when that same individual follows the rules and engages in appropriate behavior for a period of time, they will be granted more privileges (positive reward) to reinforce that good behavior.
Research shows people learn better from rewards than punishment; allowing a patient to order additional commissary for good behavior is more effective than mandating solitary confinement when they engage in inappropriate behavior. Further, solitary confinement in restrictive housing units can significantly worsen psychiatric symptoms.
Indeed, our correctional system, historically predicated on punishment, is not the most effective way to change behavior. Instead, graduated units—tiered environments where privileges are earned—offer a more effective, and humane, alternative.
Designers, architects, and correctional staff must embed this knowledge into their work. Facilities should be designed to reinforce desired behaviors, not just restrict undesired ones. Correctional officers should look for and compliment the behaviors they want to see, as often—if not more—than they issue conduct reports. When staff shift their focus from solely bad behavior, they discover many opportunities each day to compliment those doing right. The current punishment-driven model increases staff focus on misbehavior, while ignoring the positive behavior they wish to see, creating reactive, volatile environments. A more balanced approach can transform interactions and the culture of the facility.
Northwest Indiana Correctional Facility
The Northwest Indiana Correctional Facility, currently being built in Westville, Indiana, is a model for this trauma-informed, therapeutic, graduated unit design. This facility includes eight dedicated mental health and substance use recovery units, as well as a restrictive housing unit step-down. These units are designed to allow residents to move through the programs from the highest need and security to more freedoms and access to amenities in each step. This design rewards progress and encourages continued rehabilitation.
Additionally, it was designed with environmental psychology in mind, using warm colors, acoustic mitigation strategies, improved natural light, biophilic design, and humane, normalized architecture. Research tells us that these seemingly simple design choices alleviate stress and impulsiveness, enhance mood and sleep, and improve overall behavior and compliance.
Conclusion
If you remain skeptical, try this at home: Instead of grounding the child who isn’t listening, acknowledge and praise the child who is. Watch how the behavior of the other child shifts.
Designers and architects may not create behavior plans or write policies, but their work changes lives. Every material, sightline, and ceiling height sends a message to the men and women who live and work there. Safer, calmer spaces benefit both residents and staff. Let’s design for growth, not just control.
Dr. Deanna Dwenger, PsyD, HSPP, is Chief Behavioral Health Advisor for Elevatus Architecture.
