Crazy. There is a reason why buildings under a bridge for instance, are less desirable: no view, dark shadows, looming architecture over your head... so let\'s put all the prisons over our heads, blocking out the sun and air. There is a reason why penthouses are desirable... now people will want to go to prison as that way they get the sun, the view and no prison over their heads. What is with the diagram that shows tractors, cows and heavy machinery vertically over highrises? Notice how as buildings go up they get narrower and fewer? That is because all that stuff is heavy and it takes a lot of energy to go that high. How would they build factories, farms and prison buildings held up OVER top of the taller buildings, even if it were desirable. They wouldn\'t go for this plan if it were a community based project, let alone a prison. Laudible goals, ridiculous manner of achieving them. I don\'t have antipathy for prisons now, but if they were everpresent over my head blocking out the sun and air, I would.

If you want to stop people return to crime then look no further than Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He makes his prisoners work for the local comunity, makes them sleep in tents, and makes then dress in pink. His system works with the philosphy that \" Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it’s time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can’t afford to have for themselves\"

Amazing what you can do when you ignore human rights, isn\'t it Rogers?

Ignoring human rights? They\'re fed, clothed and provided shelter. How is that in-humane?

Human rights for prisoners? whatever next? If you commit a crime, bang goes your human rights! To be fair, just make it known to everybody. We could all sign a consent form. No crime. No problem! Make prisoners work for their keep. How about generating electricity on a treadmill for old people\'s homes?

I am sorry that you feel that way Ironghost. My personal feeling is that anybody who feels that they have the right to impact on someone else's rights and liberties no longer deserves society's sympathies. And for the record Sheriff Joe Arpaio has not violate or ignored anyone's humans right as set down in the US constitution in regards to the tent prison that he set up.
As the old adage says don't do the crime if you can't do the time, unfortunately in a lot of cases the time is easy and luxurious in comparison to say living on the street because the recession left you without a job and the bank reposed your home. I would rather see tax monies being spent helping those people and providing them with food shelter and the means necessary to get back to work, than being wasted on those people who have chosen a life of crime that never pay back to society what they take from it with no regard to others.

On a slightly different note if the above concept could be altered to place the prison in say an old open cast mine site, with 2-300 ft vertical side to provide the appropriate deterrent to escape, then I think the over head pod system as well as the modular cell systems could have positive cost savings and efficiencies.

\"They\'re fed, clothed and provided shelter. How is that in-humane?\" Um, so are slaves and indentured servants, a lot of kidnapped people etc... that is hardly a definition of humane treatment. But we were talking about Vertical Prison design, not feeding and clothing people...
\"Human rights for prisoners? whatever next? If you commit a crime, bang goes your human rights! \" Is anyone here unaware of the fact that people are put in prison for smoking marijuana for instance, for not paying parking tickets, for a multitude of things, including in other countries homosexuality with a willing partner, infidelity (ie a married woman who is raped is considered adulterous), for writing newspaper articles on human rights etc? Is everyone here unaware that people who have been incarcerated include Nelson Mandela, Oscar Wilde (who died doing hard labour) etc? That using DNA testing several scores of convicted murderers have been found innocent after 20 yrs in jail etc? I hope none of you ever end up in jail for a night or three.
BTW, could we please comment on the VERTICAL PRISON DESIGN? The thing about the mines was interesting. But frankly, in the US and elsewhere, prisons are a BUSINESS... the people who run them lobby to build more, sell all services from food to security to clothing to the govt, ie it is a captive consumer group that puts billions upon billions of dollars into the pockets of the contractors and the govt. We need prison alternatives. Not more prisons.

Anyone thinking that punishment will somehow correct inmates is just plain foolish. What punishment, including things like boredom actually do is increase rage and hate and assure a more violent and more dedicated convict will take out his rage on society. At best sheriff Joe will accomplish is to cause criminals to prey on the innocent in states other than Arizona. Mental illness, ignorance, and a lack of education are the usual causes of crime. Gloom and punishment amplify these problems.

Facebook user is right. I have talked to family members of criminals in Arizona that experienced the system there and heard that it is the case that criminals leave Arizona and prey on easier states-So Joe\'s plan is good for Arizona. About the vertical prison, I really don\'t like the idea to have the specter of evil over my head at all times reminding me every day of the prisoners and their plight, or the suffering of their victims. If you are going to build something in the sky it should be a park, museum, public meeting place or temple don\'t give the prisoners the best seat in the house. You give them leverage in the event of overthrow to cause some major damage below, you would have to protect the pilons with too much security to keep them from toppling the whole structure when they get released or by their associates.