The emergence of the geriatric prison

Koolhass has stated that "prisons and the ever-changing attitudes towards detention may be one of the most acute indicators of the changing values of society."1 As such this thesis is concerned with addressing the needs and issues concerning the demoralizing conditions that are present and the inhumane treatment that geriatric inmates are suffering in the nation's correctional system.There are extreme social and ethical consequences of prison design and it is of increasing importance that we learn how to handle an aging inmate population within the prison system, to ensure that the most marginalized of our society are not further exploited by the ruthlessness of the prison system. Accordingly, this thesis pursues the following ideas, issues and themes:1.) The History of Incarceration2.) The Reform Movement3.) Contemporary Trends in Penal Philosophy and Design4.) Examination of the Issues Concerning Geriatric Incarceration5.) Design Program for the Geriatric Prison1 Koolhaas, Rem. S,M,L,XL: Study for the Renovation of a Panopticon Prison. 010 Publishers, Rotterdam. 1995. page 75.