How would you improve my prison?

[TUFOM]

My main problems are complains about hygien and family. Minor problems 80-90% prisoners get food each time, prisoners get lot of tools and yard consumes much time (extends to next activity). Amazingly I got tunnel problem under control.

http://i.imgur.com/p2azQXG.jpg

Thoughts? My first prison so dont be rough.

[Threehorns]

Check your Regime.

in order of odds that they will do hygiene
Inmates might shower during: shower time, free time, work
Inmates might empty bladder: lockup time, freetime, work

Visitation I do not know, it seems any time is fine during visitation times.
With 160 prisoners i had 11 visitation tables and it worked out fine.

[Fisher27]

In my opinion, your hallways should be 2 or even 3 blocks wide. That will cut down on the congestion.

With enough phones, you can completely eliminate the visitation room. I don't really use it anymore since it seriously cuts into reform programs. My prisoners were always leaving classes to go see a visitor, then failing the class. I even had parolees leaving their hearing to go to visitation.

I haven't checked if IV have fixed the family need in alpha 29, but visitation didn't affect it before.

[TUFOM]

Thanks for suggestion guys. I played way too much and fixed problems with my new improved layout.

Old prison and its problems:
Needs: http://i.imgur.com/Su3FM7g.jpg
Layout: http://i.imgur.com/e7whKSp.jpg

8 hour playtime and 150k prison money later:
Needs: http://i.imgur.com/Z3FuHdH.jpg
Layout: http://i.imgur.com/TlBmezb.jpg

No need for armed guards anymore. Income is bit low because "few" inmates escaped during construction and workshop is re-starting.

[Threehorns]

btw, you got 6 visitors in 21 groups ... meaning you got visitation bug

I think it originates with dead prisoners who had visitors for them when they died.

the result will be that visitation tables are considered occupied by X groups. probably 19 groups reserved 19 tables ... you need to up your visitor tables by at least that amount.
Meaning: 19 empty visitor tables + amount of visitor tables for actual visitor groups.

My prison got same problem now .... its the only thing in the RED and it gives lots of fighting and dying.

[kojakdobermann]

It's a nice prison! I like it.

You could improve prisoner flow by replacing the prison gates into your cell blocks by regular doors or unlocking them. The same goes for all rooms like common room, library, shower, visitation, canteen, etc. They use a lot of man power to unlock as soon as a prisoner wants to pass.

Also I tend to keep cells away from the border (longer tunnels give more time to find them). So swapping the holding cell (which I tear down as soon I have the grant...), the laundry and the cleaning cupboard to the border and the cells inward would increase security.

How are your logistics? Do you really need a cleaning cupboard of that size??? Or a laundry that big? Or could that space be used for cells?

[TUFOM]

I made action and removed cell block doors and replaced them all with metal detectors. Tunneling decreased and everything is smoother. My prison is now so calm that I can make them low quantity and low variety food and make shakedown everyday and danger bar wont go over 1. Almost too calm. Tazer education for guards also helped a lot and keeping medium and max prisoners apart as possible.

Needs: http://i.imgur.com/MhMM2CG.jpg
Layout: http://i.imgur.com/vCG1TSu.jpg

Really big thanks you guys!

[maquinn78]

Isn't the visitation "bug" really the teachers visiting? At least that's what I assumed.

[TUFOM]

At least prisoners are happy with family need and I dont have so many phones. I think visitation is working. 2-8 prisoners each day go see families to visitation room, when it says 63 groups atm. If 63 tables were booked there would not be room for any visitation?

[Rynard]

You can get rid of most of your shower drains too (just a cosmetic observation). As along the doorways have a drain, that's all you need.

[bobomajo]

I've taken to putting showers, televisions and phones in each cell. With that setup I don't need to put free time or shower into the schedule, just lockup for two hours before sleep. It does require you to add 2 tiles in a cell though for the shower (shower and drain, to prevent electrocution from the television). It seems efficient to have a large canteen and kitchen surrounded by cells but you can't expand them so you really need to plan ahead (I've never been able to pull it off).

[TUFOM]

I am not first then with idea "all in cell"

Same prison after some upgrades. Still work in progress.

Overall view:
http://i.imgur.com/X4wA5Nx.jpg
(Edit: Added kitchen access from yard more efficient access for prisoners. Second eating time is after yard time.)

Layout:
http://i.imgur.com/14Hf2CK.jpg

Cell Design:
http://i.imgur.com/y3DXqjz.jpg