Mobile Refuge Room

By Deanna Van Buren, Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, Allan Co, and Courtney Knapp

"Transitional housing is the first critical step of reentry from prison back into communities and is a key opportunity to interrupt the revolving door of the criminal justice system. Yet safe, dignified, trauma-informed housing— especially with access to supportive services like job training, education, and mental health support— is elusive for folks returning from incarceration.

Imagining a world without prisons and jails requires that individuals, communities, philanthropy, and government invest in and develop new types of neighborhood resources. Designing Justice Designing Space's (DJDS) place-based approach— grounded in restorative justice principles, community engagement, and healing-centric design— solves the question:

""What do we build instead of prisons?""

The Mobile Refuge Room is a trauma-informed approach to reentry housing— a transitional housing prototype designed to improve the experience for individuals reentering their communities from prison. Each unit provides privacy and spatial support, and is equipped with a Murphy bed, a desk, and storage for clothing and valuables. The units can be decorated and personalized to reflect each resident’s preferences.

These units are designed for easy transport, durability, and flexibility, and can be arranged in a variety of configurations within an existing interior space.

The rooms are flat-packed, quickly assembled, and can be clustered in configurations within a space, adapting to each individual’s personal preferences."