By: Emil E Jonescu, Talia Uylaki, and Sonja Duric

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to gaps in existing research and design for neurodiverse people and their quality of life. In particular, this paper focuses on custodial typologies (their philosophical position, and design evolution) as facilities designed to detain either sentenced or unsentenced people, over the short or long term.

Historically, criminality was regarded as an illness and treated through segregation, and to varied degrees, crime, morality, mental health, and religion were deemed inextricably connected. Therefore, prisons, mental institutions, hospitals, and ecclesiastical architecture share philosophical and historical infrastructure. Concurrent evolutionary threads of 'new' solutions, philosophies, and architecture particular to confinement were formed through discourse among social reformers. However, prisons have largely overlooked the needs of neurodivergent individuals.

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation of human brains and includes individuals who have been diagnosed with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other developmental or intellectual disabilities. Neurodivergent individuals often have unique needs that must be considered in the design and operation of custodial facilities.

Accordingly, this research first undertook a scoping review of online databases and literature to examine, evaluate, and extend on existing peer-reviewed published scholarly literature related to theories, carceral frameworks, and criminality, with a focus on the intersection of neurodiversity and the justice system. The study specifically sought recent and relevant crime and punishment studies.

Secondly, the study conducted a meta-synthesis on an accumulated pool of existing international studies and identified areas of contemporary research, existing gaps, and potential areas of future research for neurodivergent individuals. The findings of this review highlight a general lack spatial research and gaps in existing literature that recognises the complexity of the police ‘lockup’ (a short-term custodial facility for un-sentenced detainees) and its critical function in the criminal justice system, in comparison to other custodial settings that have been studied and have evolved.

Lastly, in examining the extant literature on custodial facilities the study advocates for increased contemporary initiatives and a shift in attitudes that recognise the distinct functions performed by disparate institutions that necessitate different accommodation structures and a distinct functional form. This includes considerations for the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals that are overrepresented in such institutional settings.

X-Potential, V.02 (4), Australia: Hames Sharley.

Edited by Elisabeth Fransson, Francesca Giofrè and Berit Johnsen

"What is prison architecture and how can it be studied? How are concepts such as humanism, dignity and solidarity translated into prison architecture? What kind of ideologies and ideas are expressed in various prison buildings from different eras and locations? What is the outside and the inside of a prison, and what is the significance of movement within the prison space? What does a lunch table have to do with prison architecture? How do prisoners experience materiality in serving a prison sentence? These questions are central to the texts presented in this anthology. Prison, Architecture and Humans is the result of a collaboration between researchers and architects from Italy, Norway and Sweden. It presents new approaches to prison architecture and penological research by focusing on prison design, prison artefacts, everyday prison life and imprisoned bodies. The book will be of interest to students, researchers, architects and politicians."

Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk, 2018. 349p.

Edited by Leslie Fairweather; Sean McConville

Current and future prison designs are examined in this book, within the government's prison building programme, and the confines of current penal philosophies and legislation. America has led the way in prison design, with two main types of architecture predominating: radial layouts (outside cells with windows) and linear blocks (inside cells with grilles). Now, 'new' generation prisons (central association surrounded by small groups of cells) look set to become the fashion. But are they a better answer, and should they be copied worldwide before we know?Architects and administrators show in this book the designs of these 'new generation' prisons and assess their impact. Most countries in central Europe also have a rising crime rate and a demand for new prisons. Contributions from significant architects from the UK, Europe and America comment on these issues.Other topics within the book are: setting current prison architecture and design against an historical setting; looking at penal ideas and prison architecture and design in the post-war period; the psychological effects of the prison environment; the influence of technology and design on security management; and how prison architecture and design can be more flexible and innovative.

Abingdon, Oxon, UK: New York: Architectural Press, 2000. 199p.