Switzerland's Pink Prison Cells To Encourage Calm Environment
Prisoners in Switzerland are receiving a different way to calm down and that is by staying in a prison cell painted pink. As the old saying goes, even tough guys wear pink, right?
The project called "Cool Down Pink" is applied to a total of 30 cells across various Swiss jails. According to psychologist Daniela Spath, the colour therapy principle is what's applied in the project. Pink is known to have an appeal that is calming and "physically soothing."
Ms Spath shared with the Telegraph that the level of anger can lessen in as fast as 15 minutes but the prisoners are usually confined within the pink cell for about 2 hours. The concept of colours having an effect on moods of people is not new to most but this does not necessarily mean that all the prisoners are to feel glad with being surrounded by pink walls.
One of the lead campaigners of the project, Peter Zimmerman said that most inmates find it a bit humiliating to be left alone in such a room since it makes them feel as if they are weak little girls grounded in their pink bedroom.
Aside from the prisons, there are also some police stations who have received a similar treatment. One spokesman of the police attested that the project seems to work since most of those they arrest quiet down and even sleep faster in the pink room.
Other past related news that implemented the colour pink include the Texas prison which made their prisoners dress up in pink jumpsuits in 2006 so that they will dread ever going back to jail and be forced to wear such uniform. Even in the world of manly sports, Iowa's Kinnick Stadium is made unique with their pink locker room.