The Importance of Design and Impact of Open Spaces in Prison Architecture on Inmates' Mental Health in Different Countries

Inmates in different countries around the world suffer from a range of mental health problems, due in part to the environments in which incarcerated populations are kept. This paper found that architects take into consideration the importance of design and the impact of open spaces on prisoners' mental health. However, the designs vary according to different countries. This highlights the importance of understanding the culture in the region where prisoners are housed and the significance of open spaces as well as specific designs within prison environments to boost inmates' mental health.Prison architects recognize that the micro-environment inmates experience daily within their communal living area directly influences their individual and collective behavior as well as attitudes, their responsibilities for managing their environment, both in terms of taking care of themselves, relating to others, and being a part of the maintenance and development of the buildings. Consequently, designed environments must be humane because they are supposed to reflect the best aspects of human culture, expressed through the arts, and designed to benefit the well-being of inmates. As corrections professionals understand, there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the character of the physical space within a prison and the behavior and attitude of the inmates housed there. The majority of prison architectural design consensus is based on the belief that altering the prisoners’ environment in a way that makes them more aware of their surroundings would affect their behavior.