{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/137568"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/137568","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"SISYPHUS GETS TO THE TOP (Breaking the Cycle of DC Prison)","abstract":"\"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" explores the psychological effects of confinement and the adverse impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. In a country with one of the highest incarceration rates, the United States suffers from a cycle of recidivism. Facilities that suppress self-growth and rehabilitation contribute to a never-ending feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our penal system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and reintegration for those who want to break out of this cycle. Our national capital has lacked a long-term correctional facility for over two decades. Inmates are handed over to the Bureau of Prisons and sent to remote, harsh federal institutions. \"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located next to the newly announced $500 million jail (intended for short-term stays), within the Hill East and RFK Stadium redevelopment plan. This facility will house about 300 individuals enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores the opportunity to architecturally integrate a highly introverted space into a highly extroverted urban context, as it is situated in an emerging tourist destination. It features workshops, retail stores operated by inmates, classrooms, art studios, and other support-driven learning environments that enable a path to a better future. By redistributing funding and rethinking policies, it's time we brought our people back, closer to their homes and their maximum potential.","abstract_html":""Sisyphus Gets to the Top" explores the psychological effects of confinement and the adverse impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. In a country with one of the highest incarceration rates, the United States suffers from a cycle of recidivism. Facilities that suppress self-growth and rehabilitation contribute to a never-ending feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our penal system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and reintegration for those who want to break out of this cycle. Our national capital has lacked a long-term correctional facility for over two decades. Inmates are handed over to the Bureau of Prisons and sent to remote, harsh federal institutions. "Sisyphus Gets to the Top" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located next to the newly announced $500 million jail (intended for short-term stays), within the Hill East and RFK Stadium redevelopment plan. This facility will house about 300 individuals enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores the opportunity to architecturally integrate a highly introverted space into a highly extroverted urban context, as it is situated in an emerging tourist destination. It features workshops, retail stores operated by inmates, classrooms, art studios, and other support-driven learning environments that enable a path to a better future. By redistributing funding and rethinking policies, it's time we brought our people back, closer to their homes and their maximum potential.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Forooghmand Arabi, Sepehr"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Architecture","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Architecture","degree_department":"Architecture","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Linn, Andrew Pincus"],"committee_members":["Kelsch, Paul J.","Keslacy, Elizabeth Marie-Freha"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-08-25","date_published":"2025-08-25","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19Z","subjects":["Architecture","Carceral Architecture","Correctional Institutions","DC Jail","Hill East","Institutional Design","Prison Reform","Reentry","Washington DC"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44449"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44449","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137568","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Linn, Andrew Pincus"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Kelsch, Paul J.","Keslacy, Elizabeth Marie-Freha"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Architecture"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Forooghmand Arabi, Sepehr"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-08-26T08:01:35Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-08-26T08:01:35Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-08-25"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Architecture"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Architecture"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Architecture","Carceral Architecture","Correctional Institutions","DC Jail","Hill East","Institutional Design","Prison Reform","Reentry","Washington DC"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44449"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137568"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" explores the psychological effects of confinement and the adverse impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. In a country with one of the highest incarceration rates, the United States suffers from a cycle of recidivism. Facilities that suppress self-growth and rehabilitation contribute to a never-ending feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our penal system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and reintegration for those who want to break out of this cycle. Our national capital has lacked a long-term correctional facility for over two decades. Inmates are handed over to the Bureau of Prisons and sent to remote, harsh federal institutions. \"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located next to the newly announced $500 million jail (intended for short-term stays), within the Hill East and RFK Stadium redevelopment plan. This facility will house about 300 individuals enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores the opportunity to architecturally integrate a highly introverted space into a highly extroverted urban context, as it is situated in an emerging tourist destination. It features workshops, retail stores operated by inmates, classrooms, art studios, and other support-driven learning environments that enable a path to a better future. By redistributing funding and rethinking policies, it's time we brought our people back, closer to their homes and their maximum potential."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["\"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" explores the harmful impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. The United States locks up a lot of people. Many are rearrested after release. This system prevents self-growth and rehabilitation, contributing to a feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our prison system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and the return to society for those who want to break out of this cycle. Washington, D.C., has not had a long-term prison for over twenty years. Local prisoners are sent to remote, harsh federal prisons. \"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located in the Hill East area. This project will house 256 prisoners who are enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores how to fit a high-security space into a highly public neighborhood. It features workshops, retail stores run by prisoners, classrooms, art studios, and other learning environments. This approach brings people closer to their families and the local community, which would reduce rearrest and make a better future for prisoners."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Architecture"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["SISYPHUS GETS TO THE TOP (Breaking the Cycle of DC Prison)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Linn, Andrew Pincus"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Kelsch, Paul J.","Keslacy, Elizabeth Marie-Freha"],"dc:contributor.department":["Architecture"],"dc:creator":["Forooghmand Arabi, Sepehr"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-08-26T08:01:35Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-08-26T08:01:35Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-08-25"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" explores the psychological effects of confinement and the adverse impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. In a country with one of the highest incarceration rates, the United States suffers from a cycle of recidivism. Facilities that suppress self-growth and rehabilitation contribute to a never-ending feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our penal system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and reintegration for those who want to break out of this cycle. Our national capital has lacked a long-term correctional facility for over two decades. Inmates are handed over to the Bureau of Prisons and sent to remote, harsh federal institutions. \"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located next to the newly announced $500 million jail (intended for short-term stays), within the Hill East and RFK Stadium redevelopment plan. This facility will house about 300 individuals enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores the opportunity to architecturally integrate a highly introverted space into a highly extroverted urban context, as it is situated in an emerging tourist destination. It features workshops, retail stores operated by inmates, classrooms, art studios, and other support-driven learning environments that enable a path to a better future. By redistributing funding and rethinking policies, it's time we brought our people back, closer to their homes and their maximum potential."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["\"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" explores the harmful impacts of prison architecture on human behavior. The United States locks up a lot of people. Many are rearrested after release. This system prevents self-growth and rehabilitation, contributing to a feedback loop that leaves little room for a second chance. This thesis calls for reform of our prison system by shifting the focus toward education, skill-building, and the return to society for those who want to break out of this cycle. Washington, D.C., has not had a long-term prison for over twenty years. Local prisoners are sent to remote, harsh federal prisons. \"Sisyphus Gets to the Top\" proposes a new prison system in the form of an educational and learning center for Washington, D.C., located in the Hill East area. This project will house 256 prisoners who are enrolled in vocational and educational programs. The project explores how to fit a high-security space into a highly public neighborhood. It features workshops, retail stores run by prisoners, classrooms, art studios, and other learning environments. This approach brings people closer to their families and the local community, which would reduce rearrest and make a better future for prisoners."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Architecture"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44449"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137568"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["Architecture","Carceral Architecture","Correctional Institutions","DC Jail","Hill East","Institutional Design","Prison Reform","Reentry","Washington DC"],"dc:title":["SISYPHUS GETS TO THE TOP (Breaking the Cycle of DC Prison)"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Architecture"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Architecture"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19Z"}