The Power of the Pen and Co-Design
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EmailNCI had the opportunity over the last year to be involved in the Missouri Prison Transformation Project, which seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of those living in, working in, and recently released from prison.
NCI had the opportunity over the last year to be involved in the Missouri Prison Transformation Project. This research project is a collaboration between the University of Missouri, University of New Haven, Arizona State University, and the Missouri Department of Corrections.
The Missouri Prison Transformation Project (MPTP) seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of those living in, working in, and recently released from prison. Drawing on international best practices, as well as input from prison staff and residents, this project explores innovative ways to improve prison conditions and overall prison culture and climate in four prisons in Missouri.
In partnership with a University of Missouri Interior Design faculty/student team led by Rabia Faizan, NCI conducted four interior design charrettes in four prisons with Missouri Department of Corrections staff, administrators, and residents. Two things stood out to me during this experience: the power of the pen and the power of collaboration through design.
When a person lives in prison, they generally have little autonomy. Residents’ days and activities are often highly prescribed. At one prison, residents didn’t even take the markers from the center of the table without being given permission. It was a strong reminder of the power of the pen in charrettes and the value of giving the pen or marker to those whose input you are seeking.
This “permission” to hold the pen is something most of us take for granted. It is critical during charrettes, and other engagements, to recognize, acknowledge, and share the “power of the pen” as it represents the voice of the holder. In fact, unless decision-makers are willing to take those steps, engagement is likely a token effort.
At that same prison, there was a maintenance staffer that was invited to the charrette because they would ultimately take responsibility for the maintenance of any changes made. They were hesitant to participate at the beginning of the charrette but by the end of it, they were asking what color the paint was so they could pick it up and begin remodeling.
Without their involvement from the beginning of defining core values and then actively engaging in the design with other staffers, administrators, and residents, they would not have been invested. They provided valuable input and information throughout the charrette as they held the knowledge of where outlets and other infrastructure features were within the spaces being remodeled. They knew what materials the walls and floors were made of. Engaging them in sharing knowledge and eventually designing, helped to break down the barrier they had erected about this project and by the end, they were active members who were excited to implement the designs they had a hand in creating.
Similarly, at another facility, one of the residents said that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to participate. He just wanted to do his job, serve his time, and go home, but as we talked through the potential positive impacts of the physical changes on well-being of residents and staff, he slowly started changing his mind. By the end of the charrette when he could visualize the changes, he had turned from a cautious participant to project champion wanting to know other ways residents could get involved and support the project’s ideals.
By the end of that charrette, staff wanted to show other staff who weren’t present how the process worked. They asked if it was possible to put together a video or slide deck to be broadcast to both residents and staff showing how everyone was working together, side by side, engaged in dialogue and drawing, to create the changes that are coming.
These examples stand as testament to the power of collaboration through the co-design process and often an outcome of the work of a charrette—a skeptic turns into an advocate, even in the seemingly most difficult places.
The research discussed in this article is supported by Arnold Ventures (Grant ID: 23-09915; mPI: Kelli Canada & Beth Huebner). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Arnold Ventures. For more information about the Missouri Prison Transformation Project, contact Kelli Canada, Associate Director of Research and Professor at the University of Missouri School of Social Work. To view a video of the transformation in one facility, click here.
