Furnishing Correctional Centers - Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions

To help you make the right decisions for your facility, we have outlined our top 10 most frequently asked questions. If any of your questions are not answered, please contact us to find the right institutional furniture pieces for your facility. 

Q: Where can Max-Secure’s institutional furniture be installed?

A: Our institutional furniture has undergone stringent testing to ensure it is completely safe for use in correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers as well as behavioral health care centers.

Q: What is the safest option for furniture inside cells or resident rooms?

A: Anti-ligature furniture is recommended for all cells and resident rooms. By nature of the design, anti-ligature furniture helps reduce the risk of inflicting harm on oneself or others. We recommend all furniture in areas with minimal supervision, such as cells or resident rooms, to be anti-ligature.

Q: What is anti-ligature furniture?

A: For a piece of furniture to be considered “anti-ligature” it must prevent a ligature from being secured. Anti-ligature furniture prevents anyone from using the hardware to harm themselves or others by attaching any ropes, cords, bed sheets, etc.

Q: Besides anti-ligature, what other factors should I consider for institutional furniture?

A: In addition to being anti-ligature, institutional furniture should be durable enough to endure intensive, everyday use in challenging environments, as well as tamper-proof to stop the concealment of contraband. All of Max-Secure’s furniture is made as one, whole piece which makes the concealment of contraband nearly impossible.

Q: What is the best material for institutional furniture?

A: We recommend the institutional furniture in your facility to be made from a durable, hard fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). This material is much stronger than traditional materials and easy to clean, meaning staff has to spend less time in high-security areas. Additionally, this type of material creates a more humanized environment, opposed to rigid metal furniture.

Q: Besides a bed, what else can I put in resident rooms/cells?

A: To create a more humanized environment, which can boost positivity and rehabilitation in a facility, items like a wall mounted desk with a floor mounted stool can be installed in resident rooms to cells. To provide storage, consider open, wall-mounted shelves.  

Q: Do looks matter?

A: Absolutely! We can all be influenced by our surroundings, and so by providing anti-ligature furniture which does not resemble traditional institutional furniture can help resident and inmates feel more at ease, creating a calmer environment throughout the whole facility. Opt for anti-ligature furniture in nature inspired colors, which can uplift the mindset of residents and inmates, as well as staff and visitors.

Q: How often does anti-ligature furniture need to be replaced?

A: Because institutional furniture is subject to heavy use in challenging environments it is best to repair or replace at the very first sign of damage. Max-Secure’s anti-ligature furniture comes with a 10-year warranty, giving you the peace of mind to know it will be great for the next decade.

Q: Where should anti-ligature furniture be installed?

A: Anti-ligature or institutional furniture should be installed in every area of the facility that inmates or residents have access to. In areas where there is little supervision, such as cells or resident rooms it is especially important anti-ligature furniture is installed.  

Q: How do I install anti-ligature furniture?

A: Depending on your needs, anti-ligature furniture wall or floor mounted, using a pick-proof sealant around the whole perimeter. Anti-ligature furniture can also be free-standing or ballasted to not allow for picking up and throwing the furniture.

Max-Secure is an industry leading institutional furniture supplier and has been providing anti-ligature furniture for over 40 years! Rely on our expertise for all your institutional furniture needs.