Missouri Jail Painted Pink with Blue Teddy Bears

By Linda Orlando

The Dallas County Detention Center is undergoing a transformation. On October 8, at least 6 of the jail’s 33 prisoners staged an attempted escape that failed. "They got into the shower, because they knew there were no cameras there, and kicked a hole in the ceiling," said Dallas County Sheriff Mike Rackley.

The prisoners then stuffed pages of a book into the hole and started a fire, in an attempt to burn through a plywood barrier so they could get into the air ducts. The fire melted telephone, Internet, and electrical cables in the ceiling, which cut off electricity to one cell block and shut down about half of the video cameras in the jail.

Rackley said that the damage caused by the fire plus the cost of moving inmates to neighboring jails to await repairs, has already topped $41,000, "and we’re still receiving bills." Rackley said that as part of the extensive repairs, he decided to update the look of the jail. The sheriff told reporters that he’s willing to try anything to keep inmates safe and secure in the facility, which was built in 1990 and often houses more inmates than its 40-person capacity.

When the prisoners return to the jail after repairs are complete, they will find a new color scheme—pink with stenciled blue teddy bear accents. "Basically, if they’re going to act like children and commit a childish act, then we’ll make a childish atmosphere," Rackley said. "And it’s a calming thing; Teddy bears are soothing. So we made it like a day care, and that's kind of like what it is, a day care for adults who can't control their behavior in public."

Researchers have documented the ability of certain colors to evoke emotional and physical responses in people, finding that certain colors stimulate and excite, and other colors are soothing and placating. "How do you feel tough in a pink atmosphere?" Rackley said. Similar redecorating efforts have taken place at jails in Texas and Arizona, with positive results. One shade of pink has been dubbed "drunk-tank pink" because of being used to calm violent prisoners.

Rackley said that eight inmates have been returned to the jail so far, but they are forced to stay in their cells for all but one hour out of each day because of the construction work going on. "They haven’t said much about the color scheme," he said.