Rethinking Prison Design: Health, Well-being, and a Framework for Systemic Change

ICPA 2025 Presentation by Alberto Urrutia-Moldes (PID127)

Author

Alberto Urrutia-Moldes

Researcher and Lecturer, University of Westminster, United Kingdom

Dr Alberto Urrutia-Moldes is the author of Health and Well-being in Prison Design: A Theory of Prison Systems and Framework for Evolution (Routledge, 2022), a book that offers a bold rethinking of how prisons are conceived, designed, and evaluated. Drawing on international research and interdisciplinary theory, the work proposes a new framework that places human health and well-being at the heart of prison system development.
In this session, Dr Urrutia-Moldes will share how the research behind the book was designed, conducted, and executed, outlining the challenges of studying diverse carceral environments across different national contexts. He will explain how the findings were translated into a comprehensive and practical framework for reimagining prison design—from the institutional level to the architectural scale.

With over 15 years of professional experience in prison architecture, including leadership roles in Chile’s prison service and consultancy work advising prison systems internationally, Dr Urrutia-Moldes bridges theory and practice. Now a Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Westminster, his work speaks to professionals, policymakers, and academics seeking new ways to align justice, architecture, and human dignity.

This session will be of interest to anyone engaged in justice reform, institutional design, and the future of incarceration. It invites critical reflection on how built environments shape the experiences, health, and futures of those who live and work within them.

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