Personal Information:
- AAJ: What degrees did you earn and at what college?
- LMR: My plan of “going away to college” changed when my mom passed away my senior year of high school. I wound up attending Kean University in New Jersey, my home state, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). Losing my mother was traumatic and it changed the course of my future, but my time at Kean University laid the foundation for a career I never envisioned. Back then, you didn’t have to declare a major until your junior year of college, and I selected Sociology. But when I described my desire to work in corrections, he recommended a Social Work track instead. The program required a 2-day a week internship, and I requested to be placed in a jail facility. As a social work intern I worked directly with the inmate population providing concrete services, basic counseling, and social service referrals. I also learned a lot about the inter-relationship between the courts, the criminal justice system, and corrections. The Sheriff hired me after graduation, and I worked there for a few years before leaving to attend graduate school.
I earned a Masters degree in Criminal Justice (MA) from Rutgers University. That program taught me the research and planning skills that have served me well in my career as a corrections/justice planner. So, degrees in two different academic disciplines, but very inter-related when applied in practice.
Why Justice?
- AAJ: When did you first know that you wanted to be a justice planner?
- LMR: Well, I didn’t know! It wasn’t a deliberate career choice initially with a clear path to get there. I was pursuing my PhD at Rutgers University, but I did know that I got more satisfaction working directly in the field, rather than in a pure academic setting. So, when my advisor learned of a job opening for a justice planner at the Ehrenkrantz Group (an architectural firm with a criminal justice market sector), he passed it on to me. My initial reaction was, “An architectural firm? What would I possibly do there?” Keep in mind that back then there was no internet to research the company or their work. He told me to apply “to get some interviewing experience.” I met with a guy named Ken Ricci, and another one named Curtiss Pulitzer – names you may have heard of before! They said that jails are part of the larger criminal justice system and can’t be planned in a vacuum. They said the focus shouldn’t be on “how big”, but “how small” the jail could be when alternatives to incarceration and other system factors are considered. Ken also told me that corrections architecture has a social dimension, and that jails can (and should) be planned and designed to provide a humane and dignified environment that supports positive behavior for both detainees and staff. While concepts like normative environment and direct supervision are now expected outcomes for modern jail facility design, these ideas were novel back then and intriguing to a young professional who worked as a social worker in a jail that was anything but. And that’s when I knew I wanted to be a justice planner. Luckily, they hired me. That was in 1984 – wow!
A few years later, when Ken Ricci left the Ehrenkrantz Group to start his own company specializing exclusively in justice planning and design, I was honored to join him at the newly established Ricci Associates, which later became Ricci Greene Associates when Frank Greene joined the firm.
Experience:
- AAJ: What has been your most rewarding project?
- LMR: I’ve been involved in so many projects over the years and each is unique and rewarding in its own way. A few stand out, for different reasons. The Merrimack County New Hampshire project started as a Feasibility Study for renovation, expansion, or replacement of their existing jail. I participated in developing the plan, was involved in presenting our findings and recommendations to the County Commissioners and worked with county and state officials to achieve consensus on project scope and budget for a successful bond referendum vote. We developed the pre-design documents and worked as the Owner’s representative during design. In that capacity, I assisted the County in transition and activation of the new facility. I guided jail administration and staff in the development of facility policies, procedures and post orders, helped to develop a move-in logistics plan, and assisted in the creation of a staff training curriculum. Ricci Greene was also commissioned to assist the County in recruiting and hiring a Jail Administrator for the new facility. I helped develop the evaluation criteria, short list the candidates, and actually participated in the interview sessions. A very unusual and fascinating role for a justice planner.
The other project that stands out is the Union County Juvenile Detention Facility, in New Jersey. Juvenile Justice is especially important to me because involved youth are profoundly influenced by their experiences in the system – particularly the secure detention environment. But this project had a special meaning for me at the onset because the existing facility was located right down the street from the jail where I interned and worked many years before. Believe it or not, the juvenile detention center was situated atop the County parking garage. Aside from the location, which was problematic in and of itself, the facility was terribly undersized, and the conditions were pretty deplorable. Overall, it consisted of several multiple occupancy cells, a few offices, a few classrooms, and one large multi-purpose room which had to accommodate all of the limited programs and services offered. Not a good environment for youth, their families, or for staff.
The County commissioned a Needs Assessment to establish the size and scope of a new facility. Using a systems approach, we identified several juvenile justice policies and practices that were contributing to the overuse of secure detention. We conducted some analyses that empirically demonstrated the impact on bedspace requirements and presented five concrete recommendations that would reduce secure detention bedspace demand by 15%. I presented our findings to the County Board of Freeholders who ultimately voted not only to fund the construction of a new facility, but also took measures to implement the systemwide recommendations.
We at Ricci Greene Associates planned and designed the facility to provide a safe, normative environment with more family visitation opportunities, and greater access to attorneys, programs and services. I visited the building on several occasions and witnessed a markedly different atmosphere where staff and volunteers were engaged with youth in a myriad of programs, positive activities and learning experiences aimed at reducing recidivism. Not surprisingly, the facility received local and national recognition. But one day I happened to be reading an edition of World Architecture News. The article made mention of a competition looking for “the best in architectural design that has profoundly impacted society…”, described as Building Effectiveness. Entrants were required to “demonstrate the ways in which the building benefitted its users, the surrounding community and beyond” – with one of the aspects being a social dimension. So I thought, “the Union County Juvenile Facility fits those criteria.” We conveyed the story in our entry materials through a beautiful portfolio of narrative and visuals compiled by our architects, and the facility won the international award. The Union County Juvenile Detention Center was selected above some pretty impressive buildings submitted by some pretty prominent architectural firms. While this was thrilling, the most rewarding aspect of the project for me was more personal - that my involvement helped to improve the County’s juvenile justice system practices overall, and it resulted in an environment that inspires hope and opportunity for detained youth. It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of that equation.
- AAJ: How have trends changed and evolved during your career in justice planning?
- LMR: I started in this business at around the same time that direct supervision jail design was catching on. Generally, direct supervision jail management operated under the valid assumption that the vast majority of jail inmates are appropriate for “general population”, with a much smaller percentage requiring more restrictive or special needs housing. Historically, this latter population comprised about 10-15% of the jail population. It’s a much different story today – with special need inmates comprising upwards of 50% of the overall jail population, according to some officials. Throughout the country, the number one issue facing jail officials is the increasing number of inmates with mental health conditions – even when the jail population is declining overall. This presents operational and service challenges, but it also impacts design. For example, relatively large, mezzanine style housing units typical of general population housing units work well for that classification. But those with mental health conditions require a different model. This means smaller, single story housing units with clinical staff on-site or immediately adjacent. Much attention is also being placed on environmental attributes – where lighting, colors, acoustics, views to the outside and more normative features help to lift the spirit and have been empirically demonstrated to reduce stress. This is critical for inmates with mental illness, but it also applies to the jail population at large and to staff. Neuroscience research continues to inform jail design in a way that wasn’t available years ago.
There is also increased recognition that those with mental illness should not be in jail, and the criminal justice system is responding accordingly. Police departments are being trained to respond differently to calls and altercations, including the use of Crisis Intervention Teams who help to stabilize the situation rather than arrest. Many counties now include mental health courts where diversion and treatment are the priority for these offenders. And some jails, working in concert with county mental health and social service providers are adopting models that deflect or divert mentally ill detainees at booking.
- AAJ: Have you ever had a moment of regret or doubt about the direction of a project?
- LMR: Never regret, and I wouldn’t say doubt – but justice planning and design is complex and can be challenging. I’m not going to tell tales out of school, but as an example – a critical task in jail planning is “rightsizing the facility”, e.g. establishing the number of beds for the new jail. Sometimes, the user agency has a much higher number in mind than what the data suggest. This is understandable because the current facility is often woefully overcrowded. It’s a process of listening to the concerns, explaining the data so that there is a clear understanding of the findings, and coming to a consensus on how to move forward – because the number of beds has a direct impact on project scope and budget. Most often, the bedspace consensus reflects the data, but sometimes not.
When facility planning and programming begins, the focus is on establishing operational and space requirements. Often, jail officials and staff have only the current facility as a frame of reference. So the programming process can involves exploring new operational assumptions and design concepts. Most often, these are embraced by the client, but sometimes not. These examples aren’t meant to express frustration – I actually enjoy the process. The takeaway here is this: The job as a justice planning consultant is to provide the client with information for decision-making. But ultimately, the decision rests with the client. It’s their facility, and they will be occupying it long after the planning and design team is gone.
- AAJ: What do you find the most rewarding about working in the justice field?
- LMR: The justice field is about people – those touched by the justice system and those who administer it. I find working in the justice field rewarding because my work impacts both. I value the importance of empirical research and its ability to inform good decision-making. It’s in important tool that I use in my work. But I love the planning process – engaging with different clients across the country, helping them navigate complex issues, and leaving them with an improved system and/or facility that is based on sound planning and meets their needs. And if my work has in some large or small way positively impacted the experience of those who must be incarcerated, there’s no greater professional satisfaction than that.
The future of the justice market?
- AAJ: What influence do you believe that you have had on the next generation of justice design professionals?
My presentations at AIA AAJ conferences have been largely focused on justice planning, and I’d like to believe that young justice design professionals have benefitted from hearing this perspective. Having worked in a company that employs both justice planners and architects, I’d also like to think that I’ve provided young justice design professionals with exposure to and appreciation of the planning process, and its relevance to their work. Earlier, I spoke of two “seasoned professionals” who shared with me their philosophy: smaller, more humane correctional facilities that are that designed in accordance with best practices and supported by holistic systems planning. That approach to justice planning and design became the underpinning of my professional career in this field. If my interaction with the next generation of planning and design professionals has influenced how they view their work, I have “paid it forward” in the best way.
- AAJ: Please provide a piece of advice that you’d like to share with other justice design professionals.
- LMR: The work is unique, challenging, and rewarding. Remember that it requires both technical skills and people skills. Enjoy it!