Design tools for healthy prison environments

Matter Architecture is leading a project to develop a set of design tools for improving rehabilitation through the architecture of prison environments. Together with Space Works we are connecting evidence from the field of Environmental Psychology with the architecture and design of prisons to promote better health and wellbeing of all their users including offenders, staff, families and service providers. We are consulting with the Ministry of Justice so that our output is used to assess and adjust new prison designs as well as existing prisons, to improve rehabilitation outcomes. The project will be supported by prison experts Rachel O'Brien and Richard Barnes. Re-offending costs the taxpayer an estimated £9.5-£13 Billion every year (Gov.uk) - equivalent to 10% of the entire NHS budget. The Government is committed to reforming the prison service to bring this cost down through refocusing on the purpose of rehabilitation. The design of prisons has a crucial role to play by providing the right kind of spaces to achieve this. Our design tools will enable the careful allocation of precious resources, to create basic qualities of environment that support health and wellbeing and enable people to turn around their lives.