Abstract
How the interior environment affects autistic people has been studied in settings such as education and healthcare. However, significant work has not been done in evaluating the effect of prison interiors on autistic inmates who may be hypersensitive, especially to light and sound. The purpose of this study was to determine how autistic inmates cope in a noisy, crowded environment that is not designed for them and that they cannot control. This qualitative research used grounded theory to interview five autistic inmates at a medium-security state prison for men in the US to find out their lived experience in prison. Through successive rounds of coding, dominant themes emerged from the data. Findings were that sound, light, and crowded situations beyond their control adversely affected autistic prisoners. Conversely, some found comfort in the routine of prison life. The implications of this research are that prison designers should consider providing more control over lighting, sound mitigation, and a retreat space for autistic inmates. This exploratory study expands our knowledge of how prison interiors adversely affect autistic inmates. It underscores the importance of future research into designing environments that support the needs of autistic individuals beyond education and healthcare settings.
Publication Date
1-30-2026
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Submitted Date
2025-04-02
Accepted Date
2025-11-24
First Page
61
Last Page
86
Recommended Citation
Irish, J. E., & Galford, G. (2026). Architecturally be Kind: Exploring the Effect of Prison Interiors on Autistic Inmates. Interiority, 9 (1), 61-86. https://doi.org/10.7454/in.v9i1.1187
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