Prison Architect Padded Cells

Cause: The Psychiatrist is overworked, or the path is blocked. Fix: Hire a second Psychiatrist. Ensure the "Staff Only" corridor isn't blocked by a locked door. Also, check the Regime—Psychiatrists only work during "Work" or "Free Time" hours, not during "Sleep."

One padded cell is rarely enough. You need a Psychiatric Wing. Here is the optimal layout for handling 12-16 insane prisoners.

| Feature | Padded Cell | Solitary Cell | Normal Cell | Psych Ward (room) | |---------|-------------|---------------|-------------|-------------------| | Restores sanity | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No (only diagnosis) | | Reduces reoffending | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (punishment) | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Requires padded floor | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Staff needed | Orderlies | Guards | Guards | Psychiatrist | prison architect padded cells

The Verdict: You do not need 50 padded cells. You need a dedicated wing of 5 to 10. Build them proactively before the "Volatile" population explodes. Cause: The Psychiatrist is overworked, or the path

Cost Breakdown:

Solution: Start with 2-4 cells. You don't need a 20-man psych ward unless you have a massive prison (500+ inmates). Build slowly as your grant money allows. Solution: Start with 2-4 cells

You cannot build padded cells immediately. You need to invest in Bureaucracy.

Follow this tech tree path:

Pro Tip: Do not wait until you have 20 insane prisoners to start this research. Start researching Psychiatry as soon as you have a stable income, because the first wave of insanity usually hits around Day 15-20.

Cons:

Cause: Insane prisoners can eventually break anything if their "Danger" reaches maximum. Fix: Station an Ordered Guard directly outside the door. When the prisoner starts breaking the door, the guard will shock them, knocking them unconscious. Then a doctor can heal them, and the cycle resets.