STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL JAIL DESIGN
TRENDS AND EVOLUTIONS FOR
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
D
devote more time to innovations that allow facilities to
lower operational costs, are safer for staff and
esigning a comprehensive, secure correctional help reduce recidivism.
facility may seem like a simple task from the outside. In
reality, holding facilities, lock-up facilities, jails, annexes EXPERTISE MATTERS
and adult corrections centers pose a unique challenge WHEN DESIGNING
to designers and public sector clients responsible for CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
detaining individuals charged with, or have been What are the potential risks of designing a corrections
sentenced, for committing a crime. facility without understanding the rules and standards
enforced by your state? Unfortunately, from our analysis
As one of the select few firms recommended by the of projects developed by firms that did not understand
Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), Wold or follow design standards, we have seen design and
Architects and Engineers has forged and maintained construction issues that have hindered correctional
effective design processes for these highly complex, facilities from operating as expected by the Sheriff’s office.
technically challenging and process-driven facilities These issues include jails being unable to house inmates
not only in Minnesota but across the region in Illinois, in spaces that are too small, have poor sightlines, did
Colorado and Tennessee. not meet the design standards in other areas or increased
staffing costs because of an ineffective design layout. We
One piece of advice we have to public sector clients have even heard of facilities that were downgraded from
looking to build or renovate a secure correctional facility their expected licensure level because of design issues.
is to include your state’s correctional department and their
guidelines in the design process to ensure your building One issue we have seen is facilities that do not meet size
meets their requirements. One mistake we see far too and square footage standards. The dimensions and square
frequently in the industry is spaces designed without footage of a cell, a dayroom, recreation spaces, programs
consideration and collaboration between the client, and services, etc. must meet specific, documented criteria.
design firm and the state’s Department of Corrections or If the design does not satisfy these criteria, those spaces
other licensing agencies. Excluding this collaboration can cannot be used by the correctional facility as intended,
cause potential pitfalls that increase operational costs and which could lead to reduced capacity or unoccupied cells.
potentially lower capacity and reduce licensure levels in The cell areas must be designed with clear sightlines from
extreme cases. an officer security station or a central monitoring location
to all areas where inmates will gather. Failure to properly
We believe it is essential to work with firms that develop the cell block could result in additional staffing
understand each state’s correctional design and costs or safety concerns for officers. The layout must allow
construction standards. From years of experience and for the efficient and safe movement of inmates and staff;
familiarity, it becomes second-nature to ensure that additionally, officers must be able to access all cells for
facilities are planned in compliance and designed to meet wellness checks in a specified amount of time.
those standards. In some cases, a trusting relationship
between your design firm and the licensing agency can Another consideration in jail design often overlooked is
ease the process when seeking approval for a variance to creating solutions that minimize the need for inmates
the design standards. An experienced design team that to leave the housing area. This could be as simple as
understands these design and construction standards can adding meeting spaces accessible to the housing unit
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that can be used for educational, counseling or religious
programming, or can be as complicated as designing
housing units that can be expanded or reduced as the
jail population changes. Other simple ideas that can be
overlooked include adding nourishment stations in the
housing units and janitorial services so that inmates do not
have to travel outside of the unit. A firm less experienced
with designing these highly technical facilities may fail to
consider these crucial yet straightforward design elements,
requiring the correctional facility to increase staffing,
which is by far the most expensive long-term cost to jails.
Failure to meet correctional facility standards or seek
a specialized project variance can result in a building
Stearns County Law Enforcement
not achieving the desired licensing level. For example, a
Center Direct Supervision Pod (1983)
downgrade could mean the facility goes from a 365-day
holding facility to a 90-day holding facility. Decreasing the
Early jail design relied on the classic single or double-
amount of time a correctional facility can hold an inmate
loaded hallways lined with barred cells. This old style
effectively requires the Sheriff’s office to rent bed space in
of jail design focused more on punishment through
another facility. This can also require the transportation
confinement and less on treatment and rehabilitation. As
of inmates from these remote facilities to court facilities
the 20th century moved forward, societal shifts around
located where the crime was committed while you are
rehabilitation versus punishment emerged along with the
still operating an inefficient jail in your county. These
new jail design model, the direct supervision model. This
factors increase operational costs for bed rental,
concept allows continuous interaction between staff and
vehicles and staff, while potentially creating risks that
inmates in podular setups, enabling the correctional team
could have been avoided.
to identify inmate issues early and for inmates to maintain
order within the housing unit.
EVOLUTION OF JAIL DESIGN In 2000, Wold worked with Ramsey County in
Wold has more than 51 years of experience designing
Minnesota to introduce open, bus stop booking at their
innovative spaces, including jails, that have become the
Law Enforcement Center. This concept allows a calmer
midwest’s new design standard. Our firm worked with
environment in the chaotic booking process. It introduces
several counties in Minnesota in the early 1980s and,
the idea of direct supervision to the inmates upon their
in collaboration with the Department of Corrections,
initiation into the facility. Ramsey also added the first
developed the first direct supervision housing units in
instance of video visitation in the state, allowing visitation
the state. In 1983, Wold worked with Stearns County in
to occur without escorting the inmate out of their housing
Minnesota to design and build direct supervision pods.
pod or escorting the public to areas of the facility by a
This design is now the standard for facilities that house
complex mezzanine circulation system to a space.
over 48 inmates per classification.
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Wold also introduced the concept of sub-dayrooms to
the state. Creating a smaller segregation day room within The National Alliance on
a larger direct supervision housing unit allows for direct Mental Illness (NAMI) reports
behavioral changes to occur within the housing unit that, on average, 15% of
without removing an inmate. Sub-dayrooms not only men and 30% of women
helps with unit behavior but also provides an intermediate in jails across the country
step before being moved to a specialized segregation have a serious mental health
housing unit. Additionally, this model is more efficient condition.
for correctional staff because the same staff member
overseeing the direct supervision unit can also manage
the sub-dayroom. These advancements made throughout
our facilities inspire us as we continue to approach new
challenges in our industry.
UPCOMING INNOVATIONS FOR
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
Our team at Wold is continually looking to the future
of design in correctional facilities. One issue growing in
prevalence is the proper accommodation of inmates with
chemical dependency or mental health issues.
The need for providing mental health services to inmates
in correctional facilities is on the rise and has seen
significant attention across the nation. The estimates of
the number of inmates with mental illnesses in jails vary
depending on several factors, including the type of illness
and facility type. Still, generally, the consensus is that
many inmates are suffering from mental illnesses that need
treatment. Traditional jails are not set up to deal with this
population and are generally designed for individuals with
a relatively short sentence or at most one year. Because
most of the inmates are there for a shorter amount of time,
it is difficult to provide them with mental health services.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports
that, on average, 15% of men and 30% of women in jails
across the country have a serious mental health condition.
Many of these individuals are not violent criminals and
are at risk of victimization while housed in a jail facility.
Additionally, while they are in custody, they often do not
receive the treatment they need and worsen. NAMI also
Page 4 Strategies for successful jail design | www.woldae.com Anoka County Jail Video Visitation Area
Dayroom with direct supervision over a cell block in the Crow Wing County Jail
reports that at least 83% of jail inmates with a mental Without access to diversionary programs or facilities it is
illness did not receive needed treatment access. After prudent to give special attention to a facility’s design to
leaving jail, many no longer have access to medical benefits allow for as much treatment and access to medication and
through an employer. This lack of medical attention often support. Ideally, this area would be isolated from the rest
leads to recidivism, homelessness and often emergency of the general population with support systems that would
rooms visits. Should these individuals act out when in the allow access to programs that support education, health
healthcare system, they are often remanded to the local jail coverage, housing, treatment of mental health issues,
facility and the cycle repeats. and drug and alcohol use. Expanding medical services to
include mental health treatment would allow for initial
There are few jails in the state that are set up to handle evaluations to occur within the facility before the inmate
and provide treatment for individuals with mental health, classification. The medical unit should consist of single
drug and alcohol issues. Mental illness treatment is not occupancy rooms for inmates experiencing psychiatric
something that jails historically have had to manage. With events and exam rooms for medical professionals. In
the current crisis in America’s mental health system, law facilities with a medical unit, proximity to a sally port
enforcement has had little choice but to address this issue would allow admittance to this unit without leaving
in their facilities. Ideally, there would be programs in place the booking area.
to divert this population to alternate treatment facilities,
but there is a nationwide shortage of mental health,
reentry and crisis beds.
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City and County of Denver, Colorado - Building 24 Rendering
Enabling Treatment Through and bright and colorful finishes. These design changes are
Normative Environments intended to help inmates’ behavior by promoting normal
One of the significant issues our clients face is recidivism; activities such as exercise, cooking, laundry, etc. during
that is, inmates’ reoffending rates. Recidivism is on the incarceration. By providing a communal environment
rise according to the 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism focused on safety, respect and dignity, studies show that
published by the U.S. Department of Justice. This report inmates are less violent and better caring for themselves
indicates that an estimated 68 percent of inmates were and their environment overall. When designing facilities
arrested again within three years of release. These numbers using normative environments, staff must still maintain
only increase over time; 79 percent were arrested again a balance of restrictions and freedom. Moreover, healthy,
within six years and 83 percent within nine years. To natural social interactions between staff and inmates
combat recidivism, leadership is turning to normative must be promoted. Safety and security can be achieved
environments. These environments promote more social through transparent design with windows and views into
interaction of inmates, increase trust in staff and provide the housing unit with lines of sight needed to maintain a
better educational programs, resources and career training. secure environment.
The design of normative environments can include Our team has spent the last few years growing in our
more residential furniture and room design, communal expertise of normative environments, including our work
kitchens and recreation spaces, fewer security barriers with the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The City
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According to a 2018 report and County of Denver are relocating their female inmates
from the Bureau of Justice to newly designed spaces in their jail’s housing building.
Statistics (BJS), nearly 2.2 The design focuses on rehabilitation for women and is
million adults were held in trauma-informed, utilizing supportive elements in the
America’s prisons and jails at environment, ideally reducing repeat offenders’ risk of
the end of 2016. returning to jail.
Ample daylighting, healthy space for community living
and engagement, a mural for visual interest and plastic
furniture that resembles home furniture set the backdrop
for these rehabilitative environments. While the main
priority is the safety and security of inmates and staff,
it is essential to create a normative environment based
on respect and dignity. Increased privacy in bathrooms,
considerations for family-friendly spaces and acoustic
treatment for noise-level reduction aim to accomplish a
humane environment for the inmates.
Combining Direct and Indirect Supervision - A
Hybrid Model
Another example of innovation has been the development
of a hybrid of the direct supervision housing unit. In
Madison County at the Jail in Jackson, Tennessee, we
recently completed a project that focused on developing a
direct supervision housing unit that could be monitored at
night from a remote location.
With this model, correctional officers will interact
with inmates in a podular system during the day, while
monitoring those same pods at night from separate
locations. This indirect supervision is controlled through
tablets, which manage doors, lights and other features.
Although these innovative features require an increase
in finances towards training, they allow for a substantial
reduction in future staffing costs. These features also help
to alleviate the stress of correctional officers by creating
a centralized command center. The command center
enhances the officer’s ability to control several aspects of
the facility while being in one specific location.
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Ramsey County Jail - Bus Stop Booking Area
Having a strong relationship with an individual state’s For example, two of our principals, Joel Dunning and
correctional facility standards has led to innovative, John McNamara, serve on the Minnesota Department
boundary-pushing designs for our clients. We believe this of Corrections Rule 2900 Revisions Committee. With
may be one way to navigate the changing needs of jails to our extensive project experience, we develop building
accommodate all inmates and decrease recidivism rates plans and programs responsive to client needs capable of
in our nation. It is essential to consider these innovations accommodating future needs. Some jail designers are only
come with additional costs. Thus, selecting a firm that can now catching up with innovations such as podular design
design a cost-effective space from a facility and operational and inmate accountability for shared spaces’ supervision.
perspective is vital. You won’t be playing catchup with an experienced firm
- or worse, failing to meet standards and finding yourself
ADVANTAGES OF operating an empty cell block.
WORKING WITH
EXPERIENCED DESIGNERS When constructing or remodeling a correctional facility,
There is no mandate to work with a particular design you should work with an architect who best understands
firm to complete a corrections facility project. Though, the technical complexity and licensure requirements
there are considerable advantages to working with a design and has a great working relationship with your state’s
team with the experience and skill for designing these correctional department. Through working with an
complex spaces. For over 51 years, Wold has specialized experienced architect, your space can be equipped to
in public sector facilities, focusing on jails, justice centers, provide effective programming, which will help to lower
sheriffs’ offices, and other law enforcement centers. Wold operational costs and reduce recidivism.
has a wealth of professionals on staff who have studied the
workings and nuances of jail design
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Joel Dunning, AIA, LEED AP
Joel has spent his career at Wold Architects and Engineers working with public
sector clients for the past 24 years. Joel has special expertise in the planning and
programming of public facilities that translate the goals and objectives of the client
into a highly functional, operational-based facility paying attention to continuity of
operations.
John McNamara, AIA, LEED AP
John has more than 25 years of experience designing public sector facilities on all
levels of government. He has special expertise working with clients to understand
operational objectives while navigating the political environment for government
facilities to meet all expectations. John is a leader in our Government business
sector; building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients and
collaborators.
Steve Griffin, AIA
In his 47 year career, Steve has gained experience as a project architect, designer, and
manager for various types of projects and currently serves as the head of General
Architecture Division at Wold | HFR Design. He works directly with clients to oversee
projects from conception to completion. Experience has taught him the value of a
strong client relationship, and he actively works on a long term project basis.
Roger Schroepfer, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, NENA
Roger is a partner with Wold Architects and Engineers. He has been with Wold for 31
years, and is an expert in the field of mission-critical design for correctional facilities
and government organizations. His focus is to collaborate with clients and guide
stakeholders through the planning and design process to achieve operational and
integration success.
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