From Vera Institute:
Block C of the East Unit at the North Dakota State Penitentiary (NDSP) in Bismarck, North Dakota, doesn’t fit the mold of what most prisons in the United States look like. Doors painted teal, yellow, and light blue line the ground and mezzanine floors. In the center, couches and yellow, blue, and green ottomans are splayed across the lounge. Many of the unit’s walls have been painted by the people who live in the unit. On one is a quote in yellow script: “The road to change is always under construction.”
Beyond its appearance, the sounds in the unit are most striking. Conversations fill the space. Young people gather around an officer’s desk at the front of the room, engaged in a playful chat. In the back of the room, a few residents rearrange furniture to set up for the day’s lunch.
The difference is even evident in the unit’s name, chosen by the first group of people who lived there: U.N.I.T.Y. Village, which stands for “Using Natural Integrity for Teaching Youth.” Continue reading >>>
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