Beyond Incarceration : Dissolving boundaries
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Beyond Incarceration : Dissolving boundaries Statement Architecture creates space for integration and separation. However sometimes it also creates feeling of mistrust between the inhabitant and the community. The space reinforces social discrimination with the separation from the city, thus leads to problems when the reintegration of inhabitants takes place. According to a survey done by the Hong Kong Society for Community Organization in 2009, over 80% of the interviewed discharge inmates could not maintain their daily living for more than 3 days, and they could only guarantee a living place for 21 days. The main reason behind is the fact that they lack skills for a stable job in the society , and they simply cannot afford to start a new life. This brutal reality pushes them to commit the crime again. The vicious cycle has therefore become a financial and social-economical problem for the government. A study done by the Open society Institute in US pointed out that re-integration of the inmates by public service which enabled them to implement learnt skills to the society decreased the restitution rate by 4 times. “The public recognizes the contribution that they make and supports them” said by one who has worked in the correctional services for 3 decades. Reintegration issue of the inmates has become an important issue since the society reinforces rehabilitation rather than physical punishment. Assisting them to rehabilitate would be more effective than isolating them completely in the incarceration period. In this connection, is there a need to dissolve the boundary between this isolated community? Should the discharged inmates be guided in a smooth transition to reintegrate back to the society? It is worth to explore if the isolated community which is originally placed remote to the city being put within the society. The public could work as a guide, to facilitate the transformation of the inhabitant, while at the same time to mitigate the misunderstanding and discrimination between the two communities. Through this integration, the inmates and even the public, can discover a new system to explore a way out of incarceration, physically and mentally. Methodology The research aims to test out the possibility of putting a known to be enclosed system in public. To redefine the space boundaries of isolated space connected tightly with the society. At the same time, the public could participate in the transition of the rehabilitation of the inmate. Meanwhile the public may define a way for themselves to re-connect with elements around them in the society. The system basically consists of programs including institutional, accommodation and community integration space. Through the visibility, degree of openness and the connection to the public, there may be a new system for rehabilitation, both for the isolated community with the society.
Outline of Research Framework Precedent Studies Spatial Testing
Reference Bibliography
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