4|D  esign, physical conditions and regime in solitary confinement units 4.1 Introduction The design layout and ‘hardware’ of a prison building- including building materials, colour schemes and surveillance mechanisms- have a great impact on the way in which the prison is managed, on its regime, on the daily experiences of prisoners and staff and on the relationship between them. The specific design features of any prison are determined by many factors including its age, size, construction and operating budgets, its mission statement and the prevailing penal policies and attitudes and managerial theories at the time. By extension, the design of segregation units varies greatly, not only between one State and another, but also within the same jurisdiction, affording prisoners different levels of interactions, sensory stimulation, comfort, privacy, and so on. Although the architectural design of isolation units and cells varies between prisons and jurisdictions, they typically share some common features including: location in a separate or remote part of the prison; the absence of, small, or partially covered windows; sealed air quality; stark appearance and dull colours; toughened cardboard or other tamper proof furniture bolted to the floor; and, small and barren exercise cages or yards. These features constitute a claustrophobic and monotonous environment, which has health implications for both prisoners and, to some extent, staff who work in these units. Such health implications are made worse by the lack of opportunities for social, vocational and recreational activities which also characterise these units. Newly built isolation units tend to adopt the ‘small pod’ design where cells are grouped together in small clusters (or ‘pods’) of 6-8 single cells, arranged around a centralised control room from which prisoners are supervised. These units are designed to increase surveillance and to enable prolonged solitary confinement and minimise contact between prisoners and staff. Cells are self contained with a toilet and a wash-basin. Other measures, such as feeding-slots built into cell-doors, are taken to ensure that most services can be provided to prisoners inside their cells, reducing prisoner movement in and outside the unit. Typically, physical conditions in the new, purpose built isolation units are better than those in segregation units in older prisons, which were not designed for prolonged solitary confinement. Conversely, since in the newer purpose-built units most prisoner services can be provided in the cell or at the cell-front, prisoners enjoy even less stimulation and opportunities for interaction than in older segregation units. In some of the newly built isolation units, cells are also soundproofed and/or do not have windows, further reducing sensory stimulation. Sourcebook on solitary confinement: Design, physical conditions and regime in solitary confinement units 39