Alba Quezada


Master of Architecture

If correctional facilities are proving not to stop criminality, then what are they for?

Correctional facilities are not addressing the current issues that American society is encountering. Locking people up is not solving the deep-rooted social problems that pervade society, it is only wasting resources while feeding a vicious cycle with no hope of ending.

Correctional facilities should be places for healing and transformation for both inmates and their communities. This thesis proposes a model that aims to address the critical issues that lead to recidivism by restructuring the dynamics of correctional facilities.

The proposal is based on the Chicago Cook County Jail, and the goal is to turn the jail facility into a campus where inmates regain control of their daily activities, promoting a sense of responsibility and trust. Inmates would be offered multiple opportunities to transition successfully into society without falling back into the endless cycle of crime and imprisonment.