A recent hunger strike in California’s maximum-security Pelican Bay State Prison sparked a debate about the nature of prison design—what is ethical and how does design implicitly affect how prisoners aretreated? We don’t often consider that prisons—like sneakers, cars, album covers, and cans of energy drinks—can feature great design. It's because by nature, prisons are out of sight. We’re not just talking about functional, utilitarian design. There are some genuinely beautiful prisons out there. Whether for the purpose of structure, aesthetic, function, or social relation, beauty in a prison is a valid thing to contemplate. Here are The Best Designed Prisons From All Over the World that are fascinating to look at, contemplate, and imagine being locked up in.
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