The UN Rapidly Deployable Prison Project

Stephen A. Carter, AICP

Carter Goble Lee

0At the 2009 International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) conference in Barbados, the Board of the Association entered into an agreement with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) of the United Nations to develop a prison that could be quickly and inexpensively constructed in any location following the stabilization of conflict. The ICPA agreed to assemble a Technical Team from within its membership to develop plans, costs, and project delivery methods. The pro bono effort was done at no cost to ICPA or the UN.

0The mission of the initiative was to develop a prison with all the usual components, plus staff housing and a training academy, which could be assembled within 120 days on a site anywhere conflict occurred. While the deployment had to be rapid, the intent was that the structures would be permanent, meaning at least 15-20 years, or longer. Cost to construct and to operate were critical factors as the UN must seek funding from various nations and international aid organizations for both capital and operational assistance.

0Different from similar efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), military organizations, or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), the solution had to be permanent and capable of being operated by the recipient government. The UN would neither construct nor operate the prison.

0The ICPA Technical Team met immediately with DPKO representatives in New York to clarify the project assumptions and to establish a framework for an architectural brief. Research was undertaken of the known rapid construction systems that could match the security, time, cultural, and cost parameters. With the overarching criteria being cost and speed of construction, by January 2010, the Team decided upon Intermodal Steel Building Units (ISBU’s) as the best building system that had the greatest possibility of meeting the most critical criteria.

0Sustainability objectives required a good deal of assessment as to how to make the Rapidly Deployable Prison (RDP) a self-contained entity. The ICPA Technical Team studied environmental conditions for hot, arid locations and researched methods to assure that the facility could operate without the customary water, sewer, and electrical systems.

0Each component of the RDP was designed based on an architectural brief approved by the United Nations. Due to the unknown nature of conflict, the existing capabilities, and the funding sources for “instant prisons”, the plan was developed around a “kit-of-parts” so that a jurisdiction could request assistance for all (the entire prison based on 500 beds) or any single component (e.g., medical clinic).

0Due to the structural integrity of the ISBU, the modules can be stacked up to five vertically. Rarely would a post conflict situation yield a site that would require a mid-rise solution, but the possibility exists if the conflict in Bosnia is considered. However, the ICPA Team focused on horizontal housing schemes of two levels, even though this approach is not common in most countries that are potential candidates for a RDP solution through the United Nations.

0Many configurations were studied for the housing clusters. Since a site size was unknown during the development stage, basic assumptions were made regarding a minimum area. Site plans were prepared to accommodate a 500-bed prison on less than 10 acres. Ultimately the modules will be arranged to meet the site area available.

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0During the development of the design manual for the United Nations, the devastating earthquake occurred in Haiti, killing over 200,000 Haitians and leaving countless homeless. Following the earthquake, the prisoners in the central penitentiary in Port-a-Prince escaped, leaving the city at serious risk. While many have been re-incarcerated at this writing, the facilities to accommodate prisoners in the capital city are incapable of housing the population according to the UN Minimum Rules for prisoners.

0The ICPA Team has agreed to work through the UN mission in Haiti to implement the RDP concept on a site that will be identified by the newly elected Haitian government. The initial site visit is planned for late May 2011 by the Team. Countless obstacles exist to the implementation, but this natural disaster, as opposed to a post conflict mission that initiated the idea, could become the first test of the idea.

0Since the Haiti earthquake, floods in Pakistan, the earthquakes in Japan, and conflict in Africa have reinforced the need to have prison facilities that can be made available instantly to the United Nations to enforce the rule of law.

0The ICPA Team is made up completely of volunteers who have given their time, travel, and resources without compensation. The firms that encouraged their staff to participate includes PSA-Dewberry, A-ECom, Hall-Mills Construction, and Carter Goble Lee. Representatives of these organizations have been selected to receive the President’s Award at the September meeting of the ICPA in Singapore as recognition of their contribution to global corrections.

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