institutional environments

I got into a conversation with this man on the church steps at Queen’s Park and Bloor in Toronto. We talked about homeless shelters and how conventional methods of security  (ie. metal detectors and frisking) had created a violent, prison-like setting that was a deterrent to potential clients. It is interesting to consider the stigma that is produced when violent and antisocial behaviour is expected and thus reinforced by the measures intended to prevent them.