Setting: Partially rebuilt post apocalyptic world
Technology: Comparable to early 21st century
Affluence: First-world equivalent
Capital city with a few million people
Extra info concerning setting:
- Effectively enforced gun ban, even normal police units don’t use them, baton and electroshock weapon is clearly enough
- Legal but heavily regulated and taxed recreational substances and prostitution
- Only electronic currency
- High level of surveillance
- High taxes but not so bad safety net
- No easily accessible sources of fossil fuels, mostly used trains powered by hydropower, small amount of private cars using synthetic fuel
As a way of dealing with troublemakers (petty criminals, vandals, people making nuisances for their neighbours, tax evaders, more serious criminals who are supposed to be rehabilitated, opposition members who tried civil disobedience, etc) a special district is designed on the suburbs of capitol. It supposed to look more or less nice, except maybe having fences and checkpoints. Technically speaking, living there is claimed to not be punishment as such, but rather a place where rehabilitation can take place. Depending on the severity of the law violation and recent conduct, the person may be allowed to leave such district for work or other reasonable activity. (using a train, so the only punishment would be a bit longer commuting time)
More serious offenders would have to stay in that district, but there would be employers and more or less all public services. There is a guarantee that with regards to the provision of social services this district would not be treated worse than any other, which is enforced by keeping the spending level equal. However, it is clearly equity of opportunity and not of outcome. One doesn’t have to be convinced to live there but may go on his own will. This is usually because of accompanying some family members.
The aim is to create an area which almost looks like a normal district, gets heavy policing, and the biggest real punishment is that ones neighbours would be rather undesired people. It makes it a bit tricky for anyone to complain that it is cruel to place him among people like him. Needless to say, people who would still violate the law would face further penalties.
OK, so the questions:
- How to design such district to minimize any damage and increase functionality (“design” has here a wider meaning, most people would put bars in their own windows from their own initiative)?
- Which extra laws should be implemented there just to protect local population from itself (like for example strict regulation concerning ex. axes or knives)?
- On which sections should such district be divided?