The Contraction of Detention Equipment Contracting: How a shrinking marketplace for key subcontractors impacts the corrections industry

By Kat Balster 

Detention Equipment Contractors (DECs) serve as a major trade to turning a building into a secure facility. DEC subcontractors only work within the corrections and justice industry, giving the companies a special degree of knowledge in the most up-to-date security products, strategies and approaches.  

Correctional News (CN) spoke with Jeff Goodale, AIA, NCARB, OAA, senior project director of civic justice at HOK and editorial board member for CN, about the role DEC contractors play in the corrections industry, the impacts of consolidation on the market and how to identify value in a DEC partner. 

Goodale has been in the business for 40 years, with 35 of those years focused on justice-related design and construction. Much of his work has been on design-build or design-assist projects, working directly with the DECs long before ground has even been broken. He has contributed to some of the largest corrections projects in the country including the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, Utah; Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit; Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center inJoliet, Ill.; and the New York Borough Based Jails Program in New York City. 

CN: How has the DEC marketplace changed over the past 35 years you have worked in the corrections industry? 

Goodale: Going back 35 years, there was a real emphasis on just trying to make these facilities secure. That meant making them foolproof; just putting in the hardest materials (that were the) most impossible to defeat. That made facilities harsh and more expensive. Over time, designers have discovered other ways to approach these facilities that do not just rely on the most stringent kinds of security products. In turn, DECs and manufacturers have been finding ways to improve products that fit into a more normalized environment.  

CN: Can you expand more on the DEC role from the designer’s perspective? 

Goodale: A good DEC understands which product and which manufacturer provides the option that will best meet the needs of the project. By working together, we can find the best — and sometimes the most creative — ways to utilize the products that are available. A DEC that is experienced with the assorted options available is valuable with their command of the various products and their applications on a project. They can advise what the right product is to get a certain aesthetic look or function.  

CN: How has DEC consolidation turned competitors into partners for large-scale projects? 

Goodale: This is one of the significant things that has changed so much over the past 35 years. Back then, there were dozens of DECs that you could go to. Now there are the “Big Three” and some additional regional players. The size and the complexity of these projects has made it necessary for some firms to join forces and combine resources. In my experience, this collaboration has been incredibly positive. There are firms that will compete on some projects, but then join forces on the bigger ones.  

When that happens, what you will see is more resources, more brain power, more creativity — all things that improve from that team arrangement. I have worked on some major projects where this was the case and have never seen a negative impact from having two DECs working together. The outcome improves because you have the buying power of two players and so many more products options. It is also good for industry because companies can educate each other and cross-pollinate their knowledge bases.  

CN: Does the current DEC marketplace offer customers an appropriate level of healthy competition? 

Goodale: While it wouldn’t hurt to see another player, you also risk not knowing if they are up to the same standards. Is it worth bringing (a company) into your specifications if that (company) cannot bring the same value that some of the established DECs bring? There is a lot more to the job than just the ability to install products well, including a lot of technical knowledge. The DECs of a (significant) size that remain in our industry have a lot of strength, though we would always like to see more if they are able to meet that same high standard.  

I have a lot of confidence that on a large, complex project we would be able to engage with one of the good DECs that are left. There are also many reliable, smaller regional DECs that service projects around the country.  

Having expertise, buying power, working well with general contractors, and being able to get the general contractor to function as a partner are all important aspects of these high-quality DECs.  

CN: What makes a strong DEC in this industry? What should owners, designers and contractors be looking for? 

Goodale: The best DECs are able to bring the products we are looking for on a project without a lot of substitutions; they understand the design and how to best utilize products, and they understand the approaches we are trying to apply. A big component for (justice architects) is a DEC being able to work with a contractor and advise them, especially when that contractor might not be as experienced in a detention setting. A strong DEC understands the right sequencing, the right approaches. They can provide some technical knowledge to the design team as well. A good DEC makes the project better, and they make our whole industry better.  

From an owner’s perspective, the ability to follow through post-construction, and continue to provide support after, is a critical thing to look for in a DEC. A lot of owners will only open a new facility once in their careers, so owners should look for a DEC that can help with training and documentation to educate the client about the products, warranties, maintenance, etc. A DEC that can provide that level of support to the owner separates the exceptional firms from the just okay.  

For designers that are less experienced in designing justice facilities, DECs can step in and provide a huge amount of assistance and create a great project for the owner.  

CN: What can DECs and architects learn from each other? 

Goodale: The best way for designers to maximize the value from the DECs on their projects is to get them involved as an early trade partner. This collaboration with the DEC, and subsequently the manufacturers, cuts out a lot of inefficiency that is otherwise present in the early phases of design. This is due to in-person, or at least verbal, direction on what is possible in that scope — as well as new and innovative solutions that the DECs have the expertise across multiple owners, designers, and manufacturers to bring to the conversation. This efficiency decreases time and redesign and makes for a more successful result for the owner.  

Design professionals should also be collaborating with DECs to work with manufacturers to proactively develop solutions to meet owners’ needs. We have seen examples of this specifically with some of the innovations around mental health and the development of products that respond to things we need in our market.  

DECs learn from architects how to integrate with the rest of the building. On a heavy jail package, a DEC scope is worth about 15% of the total. So, there is a lot of other building to integrate with, whether that is structural, mechanical, electrical, etc. Putting together a team that includes all these packages significantly increases the likelihood of a successful project for the owner and the entire project team.  

This feature originally ran in the November/December edition of Correctional News.