Samenvatting

Knowledge about the effects of the architectural design of prisons is limited. This large-scale study examined the relation between prison design and inmates’ perceptions of their conditions of confinement. Data were used from the Prison Project, in which inmates held in all Dutch remand centers were interviewed (N=1,715). Multilevel analyses showed that the architectural design was related to inmates’ perspective: prisoners in panopticon designs experienced their autonomy, safety and relationships with staff less positive than prisoners in other designs. Specific characteristics of the prison design, like more gallery levels and a higher rate of double bunking, were also associated with less positive inmates’ perceptions.