Lawrence County, Missouri was in need of a new detention center to replace its aging facility. The county required a jail with at least 120 beds along with an attached Sheriff’s Office, and budget was a top concern. With that in mind, Elevatus architects were able to customize our prototype jail design, while introducing some valuable cost-saving options.
The housing area will be made up of 8 dayrooms and an indoor-outdoor recreation area around a central control room, with complete sight lines into each pod. Six two-tiered dayrooms will have cells (104 beds), and two single-level dayrooms will be dorm-style (16 beds), which are more economical. For more savings, the modular cells will be prefabricated off-site and will be built to project specifications.
The facility’s structural frame will be a pre-engineered metal building, which is a more economical solution than more traditional post-and-beam construction.
Back inside, the housing area will have a rear chase design, with secure access to mechanical or plumbing systems behind the cells. A state-of-the-art water management system will allow control of the flow of water to avoid intentional flooding.
The Sheriff’s Office was customized to fit the department’s needs and features a large multipurpose room and a secure evidence room as well as office space, interview rooms, and a video visitation center.
The facility was designed to allow for future expansions of both housing and office space, if necessary, with the kitchen and laundry both sized to operate under the additional demand.
