Boycott of prison work is a product of flawed thinking

In reference to your news story on an architect's call for the boycott of prison design (BD&C Enews, May 11, 2005), there's no doubt that the U.S. prison system is in trouble. But to suggest, even as a protest, that architects refrain from participating in the design of prisons is not convincing to me.

First, unless all architects refrain from such participation, prisons will continue to be designed by architects, engineers, and other designers. Even if a mass protest did occur, the federal, state, and local government agencies that control the design and construction of prison facilities could, if necessary, step in and provide designs themselves.

Selective boycotts by architects may sound noble, but they do not solve the problem. If they did, then why stop with prison reform? What about boycotting the design of hospitals where abortions may be conducted for those architects that do not approve of abortions? Or facilities for firms like Enron that have literally cheated billions of dollars from working men and women?

Refusing to design new or renovated prisons will only make the conditions in the prison system worse. So give me a prison job and pay me what I deserve.

Gerald Gurland, FAIA, West Orange, N.J.

Editor's note: The original news story, "San Francisco architect urges colleagues to boycott prison design work," is posted at www.BDCnetwork.com.