Jails are not designed to heal. Yet, in many cities, they’ve become holding places for people struggling with mental illness, substance use, and trauma. The result? Environments that exacerbate the very conditions they aim to address.

At the intersection of justice, public health, and design lies an urgent challenge and a remarkable opportunity: to reimagine the built environment not as punishment, but as part of the solution.

Our Civic & Justice practice works at this very crossroads, helping communities design spaces that foster dignity, connection, and recovery—because when people feel respected and safe in their surroundings, they are more likely to engage positively with treatment and rebuild their lives.

The Problem: A System in Decline

As jail populations shrink nationwide, the individuals who remain are often among society’s most vulnerable. The current system isn’t equipped to support those with serious mental illness, cognitive disabilities, or substance use disorders. We’re seeing the limits of traditional incarceration—and the cost is human.

“There are better ways to provide treatment and rehabilitation to people living with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders and to end the cycle of homelessness and incarceration.”

— “The Lost Virtues of the Asylum,” Oliver Sacks, MD

A New Vision: The Return of the Asylum—Redefined

The word “asylum” may conjure dark images of cold corridors and confinement, but the original meaning, a place of refuge, is worth reclaiming. What if we designed environments that dignify rather than dehumanize?

This is not about nostalgia. It’s about radically rethinking environments of care and protection, guided by a central principle: design can heal.

Design Principles for the New Asylum

  1. Central Courtyards for Sunlight and Safety
    A courtyard is more than an aesthetic gesture. It creates a sense of order and orientation, fosters serenity, and allows natural light to mark the passage of time—something often lost in sealed facilities.
  2. Materials That Evoke Calm—not Confinement
    Materials like brick, stone, and glass reflect community buildings, not carceral institutions. Buildings can resemble libraries or campuses, designed to blend into their surroundings, not stand apart in shame.
  3. Spaces Designed for Dignity
    Wide hallways, climate control, acoustic dampening, and natural materials offer safety and humanity for both staff and residents. Security is maintained not through harshness, but through thoughtful layout and visibility.

The Impact: Proof That Architecture Influences Behavior

The award-winning juvenile facility that NELSON designed in Union County, New Jersey, demonstrates this vision in action. Described by jurors as “a building with optimism,” the facility was praised by both staff and residents for its serenity, daylight, and restorative environment.

“When I go home at night, I don’t have a headache like I used to have when I worked at Rahway State Prison.”

— Union County Juvenile Detention Center, Facility Supervisor

Decades of evidence show that environments with daylight and views of nature can reduce aggression, lower stress, and support recovery.

Reclaiming Joy and Sociability in Design

Spaces for dining, gathering, and being seen as individuals are essential for any therapeutic community. Design can foster connection, rather than isolation. Sunlight, views to nature, and colorful materials all contribute to a sense of normalcy and belonging.

From Containment to Care

If we want to disrupt cycles of incarceration and begin real rehabilitation, design is a powerful tool to be leveraged. The new concept of asylum is not a relic of the past; it’s a necessary reimagining of our future.

Our Civic & Justice practice partners with communities, health systems, and justice and correction agencies to bring this vision to life—transforming spaces of containment into environments of care. Because when we design for humanity, we design for better outcomes.

Architecture alone isn’t the answer, but it’s a powerful place to start.

“Humane environments elicit humane behavior.”