An overcrowded prison can become a PR nightmare once the papers get wind of the story.
If your jail or prison is struggling for space, bunk beds can help you make more efficient use of space and a better atmosphere for inmates.
Read on to find out how metal bunk beds can help you cope with a range of issues.
Less Danger in the Prison
An overcrowded prison can be very dangerous.
When overcrowding strikes, sometimes rooms such as gyms are repurposed as ‘group’ cells. This can mean violent inmates end up being housed with inappropriate cellmates.
This puts other inmates at risk, but it also endangers correctional officers.
Creating space with bunk beds means that you don’t have to worry about inmates wandering around unsupervised at night to ‘visit’ other prisoners. It helps to prevent flight risk inmates from escaping too.
It’s much better to have everyone in their cell, where they can be accounted for during the night and lockdowns.
Personal Space for Inmates
There are sometimes reports in the news of inmates forced to sleep on concrete floors since there aren’t enough beds in jail.
This also means inmates have no real personal space. They’re in your jail or prison for a reason, but they still deserve humane treatment. A lack of personal space can result in stress and poor mental health.
That’s no good for their rehabilitation or for the people inside the prison with them if they’re prone to violence under stress.
Metal bunk beds can be the solution you’re looking for. When an inmate has at least a small amount of space they can call their own, this can provide them with a feeling of security and safety.
Especially when surrounded by unfamiliar faces, it’s important that inmates have a comfort zone to retreat to.
What to Look out For
Remember that metal objects can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
All tube ends and openings should be welded closed and bunks should be bolted to the floors and walls – consider using Myspace Shear-Nuts that cannot be undone with home-made tools.
Bunk should be designed so that the top-bunk can be accessed without stepping into the space of the bottom bunk-user, and bunks should be fully welded so that they cannot be disassembled.
Don’t forget to check that a fully welded bunk will fit through the doors of your prison – you may have to use an installer who can complete the welding in the prison cell.
Where to Buy Metal Bunk Beds
If you’re convinced by the benefits of metal bunk beds, you’re now wondering where you can buy them. We sell double and triple-decker metal bunk beds that could suit your jail or prison.
Be aware that triple bunks might lead to accusations of ‘stuffing’ inmates into rooms from a PR perspective. And you also need to consider the safety of adding a third layer to the beds, which might be out of the easy reach and sight of your guards.
Perhaps you should stick to doubles in your prison. But if you have any other questions or want to discuss the suitability of these beds for other purposes, please feel free to ask us.