Been a long time and I know they updated a lot since then but…

It looks like you built out a ton of facilities before you have enough inmates to use them. Probably will run into problems if you dont have a good profit going, so I would try to leave more of a buffer. I think license plates and woodshop were decent money makers. I wouldn’t accept too many max sec prisoners until that is going. They are more profitable to have but the contraband from those two shops is useful for escapes so you need good security.

I separate my cell blocks, and usually centralize them a bit. If you keep min security, med and max separate from eachother you can manage their security needs better and usually keep maxers from killing others as much. Especially separate any CIs in their own section. Keeping it central means they need to tunnel further. Make sure K9 patrols around each block as well as your overall perimeter. The large perimeter is the last chance to catch but its huge so you really want to catch them earlier.

I think your chapel can be way smaller. I just dont remember it needing to be that big. Dont be afraid to build multiple of each room type to continue keeping the different security types separate. You can use schedules to help with that too if you need to have them use the same room area. Early on when I couldn’t afford that I would make sure they all took their meals separate I pretty much dont let max sec go anywhere they can get weapons or tools, so I just have them use a small caf and maybe small chapel of their own, or whatever need they have to satisfy. Pretty sure when they mix they give eachother contraband so watch out for that.

One other thing I did was make special guard only access hallways. These things would let the guards get around a lot more easily which will help reduce overall staffing needs - otherwise it takes too much time to get around. Its gotta be quick and easy to get to kennels and the armory, but very difficult for prisoners to get to those. If a riot breaks out and they get to the armory you’re fucked.

That’s all I remember, theres so much to know in this game its crazy.

I haven’t played in a few years so take this with a grain of salt.

My approach is to build things out incrementally. If your cashflow stays positive the entire time, you won’t have money problems.

For design, try to find modular chunks you can repeat. A cellblock with bathroom and showers. A canteen. Make blueprints from them and twist them.

Do you have a foundation and walls around the entire space? I usually kept most stuff outside with a fence around the perimeter.

I like how you have it set up! Leaving yourself room to expand is smart!

If you find you’re struggling with long walk times, think about planning your prison with the inmates’ schedule in mind. So if they wake up, shower, then eat, then work you might want to plan your prison with those facilities laid out roughly in that order so nobody has to backtrack and waste time.

You can also have multiple cell blocks with duplicated facilities in each, so a little group of cells with their own showers and canteen etc. if you can plan a tiny efficient prisoner block with a balanced proportion of facilities, you can easily scale it up by just duplicating it over and over.

Oh so that’s how you’re supposed to run a prison. My usual strategy of throwing 20 armed guards in a hallway and having a “open room concept” morgue and hospital needs updating it seems

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