How to handle Prisoner and Staff Need

Overview

Quick-reference guide on how to handle prisoner and staff need in Prison Architect.Current Version 1.6

Introduction

Quick-reference guide on how to handle prisoner and staff need in Prison Architect.

This great looking artwork was created by Morten Elgaard Pedersen.

Version info:

• 07. May 2016 | Version 1.0 | First draft
• 09. May 2016 | Version 1.1 | Counter information added
• 17. May 2016 | Version 1.2 | Minor corrections
• 18. May 2016 | Version 1.3 | Need information added
• 24. May 2016 | Version 1.4 | Added links to the Notes section
• 18. July 2016 | Version 1.5 | Added picture balloons to all Needs
• 07. February 2017 | Version 1.6 | Added Staff Needs section

How to handle Prisoner Need

This is the overview of prisoners’ needs and how to counter them. Remember meeting the need makes prisoners happy and less aggressive.

Prisoners will try to ‘complete’ their various needs even if there is no items/rooms designated for them to do so, for example a prisoner with a strong need to empty his bladder will start urinating on the ground if no toilet is available, or if a prisoner is forced to stay somewhere, e.g. shower or yard, same goes for bowels.

Needs can be met by providing the prisoners with suitable equipment for that need.

Picture

Need

Cause

Counter

Alcohol *

Existing habit

Reform program and Time without alcohol

Bladder

Time

Using toilet

Bowel

Time

Using toilet

Clothing

Time

Clean clothing from Laundry

Comfort

Time

Sleep and Sit on bench

Drugs *

Existing habit

Reform program and time without drugs

Environment

Time in a dirty environment

Time in clean environment

Exercise

Time

Using weight bench, Run laps in the yard

Family

Time

Letters, Visitation and Using Phone Booths

Food

Time

Eat in canteen

Freedom

Time in Cell or Dormitory and punishment

Freetime and Outside facing window

Hygiene

Sleep

Shower

Literacy **

Prisoner trait

Reading book from the Library

Luxuries

Many Prisoners enjoy a bit of luxury from time to time

You can help them meet this need by building a Shop in your prison, and make a bit of money in the process. Prisoners who meet this need will be less likely to cause trouble, but there’s no downside for ignoring it; it IS prison, after all.

Privacy

Time in Holding Cell or Dormitory

Time in a Cell

Recreation

Time

Pool table, Radio and TV

Safety

High danger level

Low danger level

Sleep

Time

Sleep in bed or bunk bed

Spirituality **

Prisoner trait

Time in Chapel using prayer mat or pew

Warmth

Cold

Having Heaters and/or having Hot Water Pipes connected to Showers

* Not all prisoners have the drug or alchohol need. It can be minimized but not removed if the prisoner complete the alcoholics group therapy or pharmaceutical treatment of drug addiction program.

** Not all prisoners have the spirituality or literacy need.

Staff Needs

Your security staff now have needs, in much the same way as prisoners. This is optional, and can be enabled when creating a new prison, or enabled from Extras -> Map Settings.

You must take care of your staff needs, or else your staff will begin to perform their duties badly.

The staff members affected in this update are:

• Guards
• Armed Guards
• Dog Handlers
• Snipers

These staff will have a semi random mixture of the following needs. Each need is similar to its prisoner counterpart, but also slightly different.

Need

How it works

Bladder and Bowels

Staff will only make use of toilets in staff designated zones or staff rooms.

Comfort

Put some sofas in the staff room for this.

Environment

Same as prisoners, this is entirely based on the cleanliness of the surroundings.

Food

Staff will eat in the Staff Room if you add a Serving Table. Or you can designate a canteen as “Staff Only” and they will eat there instead. Staff meals are more expensive than prisoner meals and are automatically delivered.

Recreation

Staff get bored too. They can now make use of any entertainment so long as it exists within a staff room. Eg Pool tables, radios, TVs, etc.

Rest

This replaces the “tiredness” mechanic. Be sure to give your staff enough down time. If staff are happy, this contributes in a positive way towards the temperature of your prison. Likewise if they are unhappy, this will make the prison “hotter” and lead to more trouble later.

Safety

Staff hate to feel they are in danger. You can help with this need by equipping your staff with Tazers, body armour etc, as well as ensuring strength in numbers.

If you do not take care of your staff they will become “pissed off”, and begin to perform their jobs badly:

• Sauntering around slowly when doing jobs.
• Less effective at searching for contraband.
• Less likely to actively look for trouble, more likely to turn a blind eye.
• Unwilling to put themselves in danger eg confronting gang members.
• In extreme cases, staff will take bribes in order to look the other way when searching for contraband.

Staff break times

• You can now specify how much break time to grant your staff. Go to Reports -> Policy.
• You can choose how long each break is, and how many breaks per day are taken.
• Staff on break will immediately begin attending to their needs. Nb. Staff will always finish their current job before starting their break.

Notes

Hope this will give you the overview you need.

Please refer to my other guides to read more related to Prison Architect.

Thanks to Morten Pedersen for his great artwork and to Chris Delay, Mark Morris and the Introversion development team for giving us Prison Architect.

Also thanks to dragoncry and Bloonsmine for corrections and contributions to this guide.

Stay safe and thank you for reading…….