Creating Multiple Laundry Rooms in Prison Architect: A Guide to Efficient Laundry Room Design in Prison Architect

In Prison Architect, efficiently managing prisoner needs is crucial to maintaining order and productivity within your facility. Laundry rooms play an essential role in ensuring inmate uniforms remain clean, which in turn helps boost overall prisoner happiness and minimizes unnecessary complaints. As your prison expands, you may find that a single laundry room is no longer sufficient to meet the demands of your growing inmate population or sprawling complex. Creating multiple laundry rooms can significantly improve laundry distribution and workflow, but there are some important considerations and design strategies to ensure optimal efficiency.

When planning to construct more than one laundry room, pay close attention to their proximity to cell blocks. Each laundry room should ideally serve the nearby blocks to minimize travel time for both prisoners and laundry carts. Assign prisoners from specific cell blocks to each laundry room by utilizing the “Logistics” menu, where you can manually set which inmates are responsible for laundry work in each area. This targeted assignment ensures that laundry is handled efficiently without overburdening staff or requiring prisoners to move across the entire prison.

From a design perspective, consider workflow and space usage in each laundry facility. Provide sufficient washing machines, ironing boards, and laundry baskets relative to the number of inmates served, avoiding bottlenecks where prisoners might have to wait for equipment. Circulation is another key aspect: wide walkways and clear routes help minimize congestion during work periods. Additionally, ensure each laundry room’s security by separating them from high-risk areas and monitoring with cameras to deter contraband smuggling.

As a designer, I always recommend mapping out your prison’s zones with both function and movement in mind. Well-placed laundry rooms not only increase efficiency but can also enhance the daily routines of your inmates, resulting in a calmer environment. For those looking to take prison layout optimization further, experimenting with a 2D floor planner can help you visualize circulation patterns and test different laundry room placements before committing in-game resources.

Tips 1:

Ensure each laundry room is adequately sized for the number of prisoners it serves—overcrowding leads to inefficiencies and potential unrest. Monitor prisoner assignment through the Logistics menu periodically, especially after expansions or changes in cell block populations, to keep service levels balanced.

FAQ

Q: Can prisoners assigned to one laundry room work in a different laundry room?

A: No, prisoner workers are limited to the laundry room they are assigned through the Logistics menu. Ensure your assignments are clear for efficient service.

Q: How many washing machines and ironing boards should each laundry room have?

A: A good rule is 1 washing machine and 1 ironing board per 8–10 prisoners served, but this can vary based on your prison’s schedules and work periods.

Q: Do multiple laundry rooms require separate staff?

A: Laundry rooms are typically operated by prisoner workers, not staff. However, janitors may still help with deliveries, so ensure access for them as well.

Q: How can I prevent contraband in laundry rooms?

A: Install metal detectors at exits and monitor with CCTV cameras. Regular searches and patrol routes also help minimize contraband issues.

Q: Why is laundry not reaching certain cell blocks?

A: Check laundry logistics assignments and access routes between laundry rooms and all cell blocks. Ensure doors are unlocked during work periods and that logistics assignments are current.