International Journal of Education and Human Developments (IJEHD)

Carceral architecture is designed for confinement, security, and isolation. Architecture has been used as a tool in the suppressive agenda of the penal system. In recent years, however, researchers and politicians have been reexamining the incarceration system and are pushing for a shift from the current punitive state toward rehabilitative styles. Despite designers reimaging the architecture and interiors of these facilities, they have failed to consider the structure. Architects and engineers’ structural innovation must prioritize focus on producing designs that mitigate the effects of a natural disaster for all human beings. This paper studies innovating carceral structures for emergency preparedness in response to increasing severe weather, and the challenges of protecting the populations within these facilities. The study is performed by analyzing the history and purpose of prison systems and how modern physical forms were developed as an effect. Case studies of both newly constructed and retrofitted weatherproofed hospitals are explored as precedent projects for applying techniques to a similar format of facility. It is found that to prepare a prison to withstand emergency situations, the structure of the building should be designed to protect the population where they are and minimize the need for relocation.