Is An Architecturally Ethical Prison Possible?

Sarah Dalby is a second-year Architectural Engineering student at UT Austin. She enjoys cats, architecture, and design. She created this project in AMS 311S Prison Art, Literature, and Protest.

I have created 3D models of two very different prisons. The first, which is a scientifically oppressive prison, comes from the Quaker school of thought. Using the Panopticon theory as described by Foucault, the cells are arranged in a circle which all face inwards toward a guard observation tower. The cells are 5 feet by 9 feet and each have a small toilet installed, which I drew from an article about Alcatraz, which is famous for its subpar conditions (“Alcatraz - Quick Facts”). Everything is made of concrete and metal, which causes the temperature to always be extremely cold or extremely hot. These materials also cause the sound to reverberate and cause raised levels of stress in the incarcerated people, as well as the guards (Slade). As in the concept of the panopticon, there is no privacy, as the inmates can be seen by the guards at all times because of the architectural shape of the building. The materials and lack of natural lighting also contribute to sensory deprivation of the prisoners and mental deterioration. While this prison is meant to be cost-effective and secure, its implementation would contribute to the continued inhumane treatment of incarcerated people and mental illnesses inside carceral facilities.

For the more “ethical” prison, I wanted to utilize organic shapes and natural lighting, which are both proven to be reparative design features and promote healing. While it may be a carceral facility, it can still be comfortable and interesting, as well as serve as a valuable piece of architecture in a wider context. While my model is very simplistic, I wanted to exemplify some proven/researched aspects that would “improve” prison life for incarcerated individuals. One aspect was the inclusion of options for living quarters; inmates would have the option to choose a private room (which are all larger than my college dorm room) or a community-living style, which still has privacy measures. It is important to provide options and choice in an environment where one is already oppressed and unable to leave in order to preserve one's identity and protect their privacy. While there should be the option for community living, Oshinsky warns that open bunks in a large room can create violence and even increase the likelihood of sexual assaults, so it is important that there is adequate privacy in both living options (Oshinsky). In the private rooms, there is furniture and bathrooms that meet a standard for “safe” cells as established by the English Prison Service (Fairweather). These measures work to avoid suicide attempts and create a more supportive and sanitary environment. This is accomplished in part by using warmer, softer materials such as cork, wood, fabric, etc. These kinds of materials are repeated throughout the prison rooms and structure in order to reduce sound reverberation and make temperature regulation easier. These seemingly small features contribute to the overall comfort and mental stability of the incarcerated individuals and would be a substantial improvement to current carceral facilities. In the images, there is also mountain scenery which further contributes to healing and creates a connection to nature.

The biggest takeaway from this project, in my opinion, is that it would not be difficult to build more humane prisons. The question of why governments do not attempt to achieve a higher standard for prison architecture is a complicated topic that should be explored in a larger context. There are simple improvements that would significantly improve conditions and mental illness, while still keeping costs low (and sometimes lower)than what is currently in place.

Works Cited

“Alcatraz - Quick Facts.” ​Alcatraz Facts & Figures,​ Ocean View Publishing, www.alcatrazhistory.com/factsnfig.htm.

Fairweather, Leslie, and McConville Seán. Prison Architecture: Policy, Design, and Experience.​ 1st ed., Architectural Press, 2003.

Foucault, Michel “Race/Ethnicity: Multidisciplinary Global Contexts.” ​Project MUSE​, muse.jhu.edu/article/252435.

“Redesigning Prison: the Architecture and Ethics of Rehabilitation.” ​Taylor & Francis​, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13602365.2019.1578072​.

Oshinsky, David M. ​"Worse than Slavery": Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice​. Free Press Paperbacks Published by Simon & Schuster, 1997.

Slade, Rachael. “Is There Such a Thing as ‘Good’ Prison Design?” ​Architectural Digest​, 30 Apr. 2018,

www.architecturaldigest.com/story/is-there-such-a-thing-as-good-prison-design.

UT AMS Distinguished Graduates: Denise Hunt

We are very pleased to announce that two American Studies Students were named as honorable mentions to the Dean's Distinguished Graduates list. Last week, we profiled one of those students. Today, we're featuring Denise Hunt.

AMS:ATX: When you came to UT, what did you think you would major in?

Denise Hunt: I thought I was going to be an Advertising major because I had been a Digital Media major at the University of Houston previously.

What was the first American Studies course you took at UT? What compelled you to take the course, and what do you remember about it?

The first AMS course I took at UT was Cary Cordova's Intro to American Studies course. I took it because an advisor had suggested I check out the department as an alternative to Advertising. I just remember that everyday I learned something that either blew my mind or made me think "huh." That's when I knew AMS was the route for me.

How did you come to the decision to major in American Studies?

I came to the decision to major in AMS after taking, and hating, my first Advertising class while loving my first AMS class.

What have been some of the stand-out courses for you in the American Studies department?

Three of the greatest AMS courses I've taken have been Andrew Gansky's Technology and the Body course, Lauren Gutterman's Sexual Deviance in the 20th Century course, and Cary Cordova's American Disasters course.

What are some of the most important intellectual questions that you've pursued during your time as an American Studies major?

I've thought a lot about corporations vs non-profits and a lot about the proper way to acknowledge people's lack of voices.

Many people, I'm sure, have asked you, "what do you plan to do with this degree?" So: how do you plan to bring your training in American Studies out into the world? You could talk about career choices, but also the ways that American Studies has influenced other ways that you interact with US society and culture, and perhaps other, non-professional goals of yours going forward.

I plan to use my degree to go into work with Museums, which I think kind of covers a lot of this question. I want to use this work to explain history and cultures to people with more than just dates. I think it has also helped me from an activist stand point and really helped me see why I should stand-up for what I believe in. 

You majored a second discipline besides American Studies. Given the "interdisciplinary" nature of American Studies, was this an easy fit, or was balancing two majors a big challenge?

I majored in English, so I really never found any cross-listed classes between the two. At the same time, I used a lot of AMS style criticism and methodology in my English classes and papers.

Besides studying America and winning honors, what other activities have you gotten involved in at UT? Does studying culture academically shape the way that you participate in and understand other aspects of UT culture?I'm involved with a Latina-founded, multiculturally-grounded, service sorority called Kappa Delta Chi. I also have volunteered with the LBJ Museum and GENAustin. Studying culture helped give even more meaning to the community service I already loved participating in. I think it also helped me understand what being part of a community means. I put on a lot of culture-related events with my sorority and I think AMS really helped me be able to feel more involved with those.

Finally, since you're the one with the honors degree in American Studies: what's the deal with America right now? In less than thirty words.Oh man, this is a loaded question. Honestly, I think America is a mess right now. I think we are failing greatly in our appreciation of others and in giving the oppressed their voices. I have hope, though. Adore and Endure each other!

AMS Distinguished Graduates: Elizabeth Patten

We are very pleased to announce that two American Studies Students were named as honorable mentions to the Dean's Distinguished Graduates list. Over this week and next, we'll profile both students. Today, we're featuring Elizabeth Patten.

AMS:ATX: When you came to UT, what did you think you would major in? 

Elizatbeth Patten: I think I was sort of unusual in that I came into college knowing exactly what I wanted to study. In high school I thought I had it all figured out and was sure that I wanted to major in American Studies and minor in Philosophy. The path I ended up taking was a little less straightforward—I ended up abandoning both Philosophy and French as minors but added a History major and joined the LAH program—but my conviction that American Studies was the right discipline for me never faltered.

What was the first American Studies course you took at UT?  What compelled you to take the course, and what do you remember about it? The first AMS course I took at UT was Intro to American Studies (AMS 310) with Dr. Davis. I think I picked it because it fit best with my schedule and because it was the intro class, but I like to think it was by a little bit of magic that I ended up in that class. It was everything I thought—and wanted—American Studies to be. I remember being a big fan of the way the class focused on WW2 as a watershed moment, and the way we explored post-war culture and society in relation to that. Apart from the material, I think the most memorable parts of that class were when Dr. Davis sang and when she wore the Wisconsin cheesehead hat to class, as only a great professor would do!

How did you come to the decision to major in American Studies? My dad was also an American Studies major at UT in the 80s, so the idea of AMS was always in the back of my mind. He is the smartest, funniest, coolest person I know, so I liked the idea of following in his footsteps! Beyond that, my favorite classes in school were the U.S. History classes I took in 8th and 11th grade, and I am also a big fan of pop culture. I liked the idea of a major that examined things like Beatlemania or the rise of the shopping mall to understand society rather than just military and legislative history.

What have been some of the stand-out courses for you in the American Studies department? This is a hard question because I can honestly say that I have loved every AMS course I’ve taken, and also because I am super indecisive. American Literature and Culture of the Late 1960s with Professor Gorges was one of my favorites because I am a huge nerd for the 1960s and because of the ways we really delved into 60s culture—we watched famous 60s movies every month, spent two weeks listening to popular 60s music, went to an Arlo Guthrie concert, and even had our own Digger Dinner at Threadgills. I also thought Professor Smith's Cultural History of Alcohol and Drugs 370 seminar was fascinating, and I will sign up for any class that Dr. Davis teaches because she is a fantastic professor and her classes are always really interesting.

What are some of the most important intellectual questions that you've pursued during your time as an American Studies major?Most of my AMS classes have, among other things, grappled with the “so what” question—why is the thing we’re studying significant, and what does it say about the wants/needs/fears/values/ideals of a group of people or society at large. It's a fundamental question that has come up time and again in my classes, and I think it’s a really important if simple one. It applies to both the most familiar and the strangest things, revealing a broader significance and importance to things as ordinary as the food we eat or as random as the paradoxical experience of simultaneous gender division and community within a mosh pit.

Many people, I'm sure, have asked you, "what do you plan to do with this degree?"  So:  how do you plan to bring your training in American Studies out into the world?  You could talk about career choices, but also the ways that American Studies has influenced other ways that you interact with US society and culture, and perhaps other, non-professional goals of yours going forward. I plan to take some time off from the world of academia but after a few years I would like to go to law school.  I think my degree has given me a skill set and sense of curiosity that will benefit me outside the bubble of collegiate life. I find myself already bringing my AMS background into the “real world.” My AMS training has taught me to read critically, to write carefully, to be aware of who is being excluded from narratives, and to question the familiar—to find meaning in the things that might seem trivial or quotidian and to understand how, for example, facts society more interested in experience and spectacle than truth.

You majored in a second discipline besides American Studies.  Given the "interdisciplinary" nature of American Studies, was this an easy fit, or was balancing two majors a big challenge? It was a really easy fit! I hadn’t initially planned on majoring in History, but I found myself really drawn to the classes my twin sister, Claire (who is a History major ), was taking. There is obviously a lot of overlap between American Studies and History, so I don’t think it’s really that surprising that my academic interests also drew me towards a History degree. Because American Studies is interdisciplinary, my AMS skill set was perfectly suited to my History classes. But even beyond my two majors, I think that the interdisciplinary nature of American Studies made it easy for me to incorporate that background in my other classes. Whenever I had to write a research paper in one of my classes, I always looked for a way I could incorporate popular culture.

Besides studying America and winning honors, what other activities have you gotten involved in at UT?  Does studying culture academically shape the way that you participate in and understand other aspects of UT culture?I’ve participated in several campus orgs, most significantly Alpha Phi Omega and Students Expanding Austin Literacy (SEAL). Studying culture academically has necessarily shaped the way that I've participated in the cultures of both Austin and UT. For example, my experience in SEAL was more than just getting to have fun and read with some little kids; rather I saw it as a way to understand the cultural perspectives of those with less privilege than me and to understand the significance of their position in society. In regards to understanding UT culture, my training in American Studies encouraged me to see the ways in which the university milieu is a unique culture unto itself but also a microcosm of larger American culture, fragmented into discrete and diverse niches like that of greek life, football, and, indeed, even AMS nerds like me.

Finally, since you're the one with the honors degree in American Studies: what's the deal with America right now?  In less than thirty words.To borrow from the accidental eloquence of George W. Bush, America is going through “some weird sh*t.” But it’s sh*t I’m optimistic we can overcome.