Embedded Files
"What happens after prison?"
The problem:
One of the biggest problems with the current criminal justice system is the preparation of former inmates to integrate back into society after being released from prison. When a person is released out of prison, they are often left to find proper care on their own. The first 8 months of their release are incredibly challenging. Without the proper care, many former inmates return back to old habits and are condemned to vicious cycles of incarceration. This leads to relapses, unemployment, and other social difficulties.
The strategy:
Restorative justice system becomes an alternative that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. It facilitates and engages mutual understanding between the members and provides inmates with the opportunity to heal in a sustainable way. Providing a designated facility for former inmates to heal, learn, grow, and share is an essential step into challenging the current criminal justice system and help former inmates break old habits while also mending the past in a way that encourages better behavior.
KINTSUGI - "to repair with gold"
Inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, gold scars are evidence of previous breakage and repair as part of the history of an object. As a philosophy, it implies that rather than hiding what is broken into disguise, the repairing piece is mended with powdered gold as a method of healing. In a similar way, an inmate, who is being released out of prison, can make peace with the past by giving their heart another chance at recovery.
47 unites two powerful focal points that encourage the notion of mending through balance. The number is a combination of the energies and attributes of number 4 and 7. It represents the tension between the fourth chakra - the heart - and the seventh - the brain. The concept behind 47 states: “Whatever causes the mind to be broken can be mended by the heart”
PHASE 1: HEAL
Second Floor
The first phase provides opportunities of healing and restoration. The phase includes emotional healing, mentorship, and restorative justice. The goal is to connect the heart and brain by using repairing pieces to mend the broken past. Each former inmate is paired with a mentor who directs their progress and supports them step by step.
PHASE 2: LEARN
Main Floor & Second Floor
The second phase provides opportunities of employment and knowledge of skill. The goal is to direct the former inmates towards a profession that speaks to them. At this stage, the mentors will provide them with opportunities to hear from speakers, to put their skills into practice outside of the program, and to get internships.
PHASE 3: GROW
Main Floor
The third phase provides opportunities of growth and development. The goal is to promote mindfulness through the practice of taking care of something fragile. Each former inmates will be responsible of nurturing a plant box of their choice. They will be able to start making some income and connect with the rest of society in a small and meaningful way.
PHASE 4: SHARE
Main Floor
At this stage, the former inmates are provided with the opportunity to share their growth. The goal is to slowly integrate social and financial help by connecting them with the community through the plant shop. The goal is to portray the beauty of second chances that comes from hard work and compassion.
The facility is divided into three main areas. Staff, former inmates, and community. After getting in contact with many existing re-entry programs in Calgary, I learned about the big demand for office space. For this reason, the second floor has a generous amount of space reserved for the staff. Shown in purple are the areas that include private activities for the former inmates. Shown in green are the areas that include public connection with the community. The most private areas happen on the second floor and the most public areas on the first floor with access to the main street.
MAIN LEVEL
Main Entry
Reception
Indoor Garden
Library
Open Study Area
Quiet Rooms (1,2,3)
Lounge
Computer Room
Plant Shop
SECOND LEVEL
Emotional Healing Room
Peacemaking Room
Active Classroom
Mentorship Room (1,2,3,4,5)
Office Entry
Offices (1,2)
Open Work Area
Breakout Area
Meeting Room
Janitor's Room
Storage
PHASE 1: HEAL | Second Floor
Emotional Healing Room
The first phase starts with emotional healing. This is a dedicated space for the journey of the heart; a collection of gold handprints left by former inmates that represent making peace with the past. It is a commitment to themselves to start the journey and a reminder of how far they've come. The room includes a private space at the back which can be used as a quiet room to process the commitment or simply a room to find refuge and peace within the journey.
Peacemaking Room
Healing includes a peacemaking room which is an important aspect of restorative justice. It is a process that brings together individuals who wish to engage in conflict resolution. This usually happens between the offender and the victim with a few other witnesses. The activity is really important because it brings awareness to the former inmate of their actions and the consequences that it created. The activity happens in a circle which is an important aspect of restorative justice. The goal is to create peace through honest communication. Since the area is private, the room is equipped with noise control through acoustic panels.
PHASE 2: LEARN | Main Floor and Second Floor
Mentorship Rooms
In Phase 2, the former inmate is paired with a mentor. The mentor stays with them over the entirety of the journey. They help the former inmate pick a profession that speaks to them and later on help them get a job or an internship. This is a really important aspect of a re-entry center because it is quite difficult for a person who has spent time in prison to find employment right away. It is important to provide help from a mentor to ensure they are headed towards a secure direction.
Library
Phase 2 also includes a library. Unlike most practical libraries, this one is more on the aesthetic side. The reason for it is to encourage the former inmates to find learning fun rather than boring. It is meant to spark curiosity with a wide range books that are both fictional and non-fictional. This is a fun way of helping the former inmate pick a profession by giving them the freedom to choose what they like and what they want to do.
Open Study Area
Right behind the library is an open study area. The idea is to promote community between the people inside the facility. It also serves as a lounge area with a more informal setting giving people the chance to relax. The space also has a computer room and a variety of working spaces.
PHASE 3: GROW | Main Floor
Indoor Garden
Phase 3 is growing. I believe it is important to teach about the responsibility of what it means to take care of something fragile. Each former inmate is tasked to nurture their own plant box. The reason for it is to later take those plants to the shop and sell them to the community. This way the former inmates are able to start making a little bit of income and are able to connect with the rest of society in a small but meaningful way.
This section identifies the circulation underneath the staircase that showcases how two of the key spaces connect to one another. The former inmates and the staff have access to the plant shop from underneath the stairs. However, the community cannot access the rest of the facility through the shop. This is important because it allows the former inmates to transport plants from the indoor garden to the shop. The landing of the staircase has a glass wall which gives direct visual access to the plant shop. This allows the people inside the facility to connect with the community through sight.
PHASE 4: SHARE | Main Floor
Plant Shop
Phase 4 is sharing. The plant shop is a place where the former inmates are able to share the end goal of the journey by selling a portion of the plants they grew in the indoor garden. There is direct visual access to the second floor and circulation underneath the stairs right behind the reception. This is extremely important because it gives visual access from the landing of the staircase. The gold parametric structure is made out of fluorescent material. During the winter season when it gets dark outside earlier in the day, the plant shop becomes a glow in the dark show. The community is still able to come in and purchase plants but the idea is to connect people to their heart. The gold structure is a metaphor of what it means to have light inside of your heart even when the world gets dark. It is a way of saying that no matter how hard life gets, there is still good inside each one of us.
Furniture and Materiality
Materiality is neutral with a few contrasting elements such as gold textures and dark concrete. A really big portion of the space consists of oak flooring which is a durable timber material. The library shelves are made out of microperforated acoustic veneers which helps absorb sound and prevent unwanted acoustic reflections. Inside the peacemaking area and mentorship rooms are acoustic panels to limit reverberations. Wood panels are used as an accent inside the indoor garden. A good portion of the flooring is also made out of concrete with a coating layer of vinyl that is high resistance. The furniture consists of complimentary pieces such as the gray barrel chair and wooden benches.
MAIN LEVEL - Illumination Plan
SECOND LEVEL - Illumination Plan
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