This essay seeks to call upon the field of Architecture and Urbanism to reflect on the prison. When discussing urban crises, the existence of spaces of confinement is rarely problematized as a component—or even a generator—of the issues facing contemporary cities. Yet, this essay advances the premise that they are, in fact, central to them.
Considering that the field of architecture aims to debate and investigate the production of space, its limited engagement with the prison seems contradictory. For example, because they are considered “humanized,” correctional facilities in the Global North are commonly used as design references for prison spaces. However, this very circumstance reinforces the issue at hand: if the ideal standard is merely what is “humanized,” we end up naturalizing the fact that incarcerated individuals currently live in subhuman conditions.
