How do I stop protected custody prisoners mixing with the general population?

I built a small Protected Custody wing for snitches, ex-law, and other at-risk prisoners. The wing is enclosed and includes both a yard and a canteen, and all the cells have all the amenities a prisoner might want.

Unfortunately, the protected custody inmates occasionally end up outside their wing. I think they're trying to eat at the regular canteen or exercise in the regular yard. This is almost always fatal.

The entire wing is designated protected custody. Most of the rest of the prison is Shared to accommodate a 50:50 mix of max and medium security. Designating it to medium and max (unless there's a way to make it both) would require redesigning the whole prison and I'd rather not have to do that.

Their regime does not include work- it is sleep, lockup, eat and yard. I used to include free time before other prisoners are awake.

How do I keep my protected prisoners in their own wing without setting them all to permanent lockdown? Ideally giving them free time (within their wing).

Solution 1:

An alternative way to achieve this, which still allows you to keep the majority of your prison using the shared zoning option, is to build a staff-only zoned entrance gateway to your protective custody zone:

Inmates are escorted through the staff only zone through both doors (circled in blue) when they are first moved to protective custody, but then are not permitted back to the main prison. In order for this to work effectively the protective custody wing should be able to satisfy all basic prisoner needs internally.

Solution 2:

Change the shared area to High level or normal level. That way, protected custody won't wonder around that area.

If you keep it shared level, the protected custody will eventually go there. One thing you could do is to make the schedules that do not match. For instance, keep the canteen shared, but high security prisoners never eat at the same time the protected custody prisoners. It is somewhat annoying to setup that config, but it is possible.

Another thing you could do (and that's how I play it) is to create 3 different areas: 1 for protected, 1 for normal and 1 for High level. One kitchen+canteen+workplace+yard+common area for each security level.

Since I place shower inside the cells, I don't bother making common areas for that.