Prison Environments

This chapter deals with the historical development of prison environments, linked to the context of inmate development. Since early days, the prison environment has always accounted for some form of inmate development. New-generation prisons have brought a more profound influence in the area of inmate development. However, there has been a larger emphasis on security in the prison environment, compared to inmate development. In addition, the inmate subculture has a fundamental influence on the interaction between the prison environment and inmate education and development. With this in mind, the chapter provides an overview of prison environments through the ages up to post-modern times. It constantly addresses the interaction between environment and education from the perspective of the relevant era of prison evolution.