Prototype Design for New Generations Prisons for 3000 Inmates

The Department of Correctional Services had undertaken to revisit how they perform their function, which was to rehabilitate prisoners serving medium term sentences. The minister at that time  felt that the present facilities with their overcrowding and difficult management systems amongst other problems were not adequately rehabilitating criminals.  It was also causing a great strain on the countries financial resources.

  This called for a whole new way of housing prisoners.  The design, done with a US Consultant, with many years of correctional facility design experience (Paul Silver).  The team learnt from their previous experiences  (both in SA & the US).  The design philosophy was to keep the facility as simple as possible.  

 The Department of Public Works (DPW) and Dept of Correctional Facilities decided to go the route of a prototype design and documentations preparation.  The intention was to prepare one set of design and tender documents which they would then have duplicated all over the country.  This would save them time and money.   Our firm was jointly appointed with two other architectural firms to prepare design developments and tender documents  for a prototype design.  With us, a number of other professional engineering and quantity surveying firms were jointly appointed. to prepare the prototype design documentation.  As project architect, our firm led the entire professional team, coordinating the work and completing the architectural documentation under one roof at the offices in Laudium.    

 DCS had never undertaken such an ambitious project in the past.  In keeping with theirs and the ministers vision,  it also required a new way  for the user department to operate.  As expected there would have been quite a lot of resistance to change from some quarters, and required a process to ensure a buy in into the project by the various role players.  The design and document phase took more than two years to complete.  

 The design of correctional facilities also required a re-analysis of all standard building practices and assumptions as it needed to ensure the safety of staff and prisoners.  Simple items such ensuring that switch cover plates for example, could not be turned onto weapons were looked at in the detail design.

 Design - One of the key items of the new generation prison was to facilitate easy management.  This included restricting the entire facility to a manageable level of 3000 inmates.  The inmates are further subdivided into sectors of 1000 inmates, and then further until they reach units of 10 inmates per holding cell.  The subdivision also allows the prison authorities to group the various classes of inmates.  The manageable units allow for easy management by prison staff, requiring less staff to manage. It also allows for training of inmates.   The unit allows for educational, vocational and industrial skills workshops. The grouping of inmates into smaller units allowed for the facilities to be designed which were economical in size, which would be used round the clock.

 LifeCycle Cost - One of the DCS's requirements in preparing the prototype design was to ensure that the entire design and all materials specified were analysed in terms of lifecycle costs.  As the department intended duplicating the design all over the country, they did not want to repeat expensive mistakes.  

 We are hopeful that the building will create more humane environments for the inmates and staff to operate.  If successful and if operated as anticipated, by rehabilitating criminals, it has the potential to make a very positive and significant impact on our country.