Assessing the Emotional Impact of Virtual Prison Environments on Incarcerated Persons and Staff: Comparing Existing Architectural Conditions and Proposed Renovations

Prison environments are complex institutional settings in which architectural design shapes daily activities, roles, and social interactions, and substandard conditions can negatively affect the well-being of both incarcerated persons and staff. The present study examined emotional and psychophysiological responses (electrodermal activity) to existing architectural conditions (EC) and proposed renovated environments (PR) to explore how spatial configurations are experienced by those living and working in prison. Seventy-one participants from Bassone Prison, Como, Italy – including incarcerated persons (n =32) and prison staff (n =39) – completed immersive virtual reality sessions in which they were exposed to EC and PR environments while self-report and physiological measures were recorded. Results indicated that PR environments elicited more positive emotional evaluations and more positive perceptions of environmental qualities than EC environments, with these effects observed consistently across both groups. Physiological responses also differed between conditions, suggesting arousal patterns aligned with perceived improvements in the renovated environments. These findings highlight the potential of architectural renovations to improve the well-being and experiences of both incarcerated individuals and prison staff, underscoring the importance of environment-focused interventions in correctional settings.