The guide advocates practices that encourage greater interaction between staff and inmates, the use of decentralized forms of inmate management, reduction of physical barriers separating staff and inmates, and greater reliance on professional supervision of inmates. Planning involves predesign and site selection and acquisition. The summary recommends forming a steering committee as a first step and defines its responsibilities. It also emphasizes that proximity to a major metropolitan area is a fundamental consideration in site selection. Basic services provided by an architectural and engineering team are outlined, as are steps in the design process. Also discussed are construction options, the problems of clustering two or more facilities each with a capacity of 500 on a common site, and site planning. The overview of inmate housing suggests private rooms, decentralized management whereby an institution is divided into semi-autonomous units, and combining normal corridor space with dayroom space to create a multiuse area around which inmate rooms are grouped. Specifications for inmate rooms and the construction of segregated housing are covered. The summary surveys design and space requirements for admission and discharge, medical care, food service, canteen, mail, and personal care areas. Security features highlighted include the perimeter, the control center, buffer zones, the armory, and a locksmith shop. The summary provides a description of the guide's contents, four references, and five additional sources of information.