[wideminded]

prison design has taken leaps and bounds in the last 20 years

Strangely enough a similar round prison design called the "panopticon" was proposed in 1791 by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham.

[Celtic Conservative]

The panopticon is a hallmark in the history of corrections design, and has influenced countless designs. the word itself means "all viewable" (roughly, latin class was a long time ago LOL), and implied one could have good sightlines anywhere. The days of the long rectangular "blockhouse" are over.

CC