SISYPHUS GETS TO THE TOP (Breaking the Cycle of DC Prison)

Abstract

"Sisyphus Gets to the Top" explores the psychological effects of confinement and the adverse impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. In a country with one of the highest incarceration rates, the United States suffers from a cycle of recidivism. Facilities that suppress self-growth and rehabilitation contribute to a never-ending feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our penal system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and reintegration for those who want to break out of this cycle. Our national capital has lacked a long-term correctional facility for over two decades. Inmates are handed over to the Bureau of Prisons and sent to remote, harsh federal institutions. "Sisyphus Gets to the Top" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located next to the newly announced $500 million jail (intended for short-term stays), within the Hill East and RFK Stadium redevelopment plan. This facility will house about 300 individuals enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores the opportunity to architecturally integrate a highly introverted space into a highly extroverted urban context, as it is situated in an emerging tourist destination. It features workshops, retail stores operated by inmates, classrooms, art studios, and other support-driven learning environments that enable a path to a better future. By redistributing funding and rethinking policies, it's time we brought our people back, closer to their homes and their maximum potential.