Affective Architecture: Public Perceptions of Courthouses and Correctional Facilities

• In Event: Affective Architecture: Public Perceptions, Institutional Legitimacy and Interpretations of Space

Abstract

The Center for Court Innovation completed a study on procedural justice spanning two cities and comprised of nearly eight hundred surveys and one hundred in-depth interviews. In addition to the fairness assessments of respondents, researchers also gathered some preliminary data regarding the influence of architecture on perceptions of criminal justice system actors and institutions. We present the findings of this study on the affective influence of architecture and discuss whether these support the need for a comprehensive theory of legitimacy through spatial design.

Authors

• Cassandra Ramdath, Center for Court Innovation

• Kwan-Lamar Blount-Hill, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY