Build better prison designs: Principal Secretary to architects

Visakhapatnam: The first ever national conference on ‘Prison Design’ was concluded here on Wednesday. While delivering the valedictory address, AP Principal Secretary, Home Affairs, AR Anuradha, expressed her concern over deaths in the prisons and called on the architects and prison officers to make suitable changes in designs of the prisons.

She hoped that the recommendations of conference would help to build better prisons. Purified water, walls, drains, bathrooms, height of roof, colours, floors are the areas to be discussed for improvement. “Natural sunlight, fresh air shall be given importance in design of prisons. There is a need to design the jails in such a way where the discipline among prisoners enforced strictly. She advised to introduce de-addiction centres in jails,” Anuradha said.

A P Maheswari, DG, BPR and D New Delhi, stated that prison design was an important concept in prison administration. He also opined that both prison administration and society were responsible to bring back the prisoners to the society as good citizens, physical space directly impacts not only on the mindset of the prisoners but also on functioning of jails. He urged to design prisons for better life of prisoners especially women prisons and children.

AP IG of Prisons G Jayavardhan thanked the support of BPR and D in organising the conference. “It is a matter of pride to organise the conference in the port city,” he said and stated that prisons were transformed as reformation centres which make them feel happy and divert the minds of prisoners towards positive thinking to live themselves.  

The conference has made the recommendations on feasible design pattern, standards for essential spaces and desirable spaces, psychometric standards, leveraging technology, environment friendly design, funding pattern, cost benefit analysis, old and disabled friendly prisons, creative space, capacity building for Prison administration, coffee table book and compendium on prison design.