New Sullivan County, Tenn., Jail Improves Classification and Care
Photo: The newly completed 1,100-bed structure sits adjacent to the county’s previous jail, which was built in the early 1980s to house 619 inmates but regularly exceeds 800. | Photo Credit (all): Treanor
By Lindsey Coulter
Most jail construction projects arise from a need to do more and a desire to do better. Such was the case for Sullivan County, Tenn., which recently completed construction on its new $106 million, 190,000-square-foot facility in Blountville. The newly completed 1,100-bed structure sits adjacent to the county’s previous jail, which was built in the early 1980s to house 619 inmates but regularly exceeds 800. That’s despite efforts such as a pre-trial program that aims to reduce the detainee population via the use of ankle monitors. The original jail’s outdated layout, deteriorating conditions and lack of appropriate separation capacity had become untenable, but the new, modern facility that replaces it is expected to revolutionize the county’s detention practices.
Sullivan County justice leaders worked with the team of Treanor Architects and MBI Companies to design a facility that met a variety of needs (and current jail standards), allowing the county to house a growing detainee population — and to better serve all who work and are housed within the facility.
Wellness and Noise Reduction
The existing Sullivan County Jail design reflected an era focused on mass incarceration rather than programming and wellness, and the structure didn’t offer much capacity for programming.
“The core issue was the way individuals were housed in the existing facility,” said John Eisenlau, principal with Treanor and director of the firm’s Justice Studio. “The county basically had a physical plant that was outdated and no longer relevant for the population they had.”
Compounding the problem, the facility’s poor acoustic environment and lack of proper sound separation or dampening made daily life more stressful for staff members and detainees alike. “Noise in a facility like that becomes pervasive and disruptive,” Eisenlau said. “It simply wasn’t a healthy place for anyone, and the old jail was a very staff-intensive environment to work in.”
As one of the county’s top priorities was improving the overall environment for both detainees and staff members, Treanor and MBI had to strike a balance between spaces that were durable and functional but also modern and humane. Design and material choices make the new facility significantly better at mitigating noise, while enhanced daylight and improved circulation patterns have a positive impact on all building occupants.
Even staff-only areas received special attention in the new facility. “There are spaces in the buildings, particularly the staff spaces, that we felt quite determined to make sure that they weren’t concrete block spaces, but rather be clad in drywall so that they felt more normalized — more like a normal office environment and less like a detention environment,” Eisenlau said.
Medical and Programmatic Enhancements
Expanding and improving medical care spaces was also critical to the project, as the jail often receives detainees who present a variety of medical and mental health care needs that the previous facility was ill-equipped to support.
“The medical unit in the existing facility was woefully inadequate for the population,” Eisenlau explained. “So, programmatically we decided to build a new medical unit within the expansion. We also provided subsequent spaces on each of the floors so the medical staff could treat detainees at the housing unit or bring them back to the medical unit itself.”
Placing the primary medical unit alongside the intake and release area also streamlines access to care for new arrivals and increases safety for both staff and inmates. This co-location strategy extended to other core functions of the facility as well.
“The kitchen, laundry, intake and release, and the medical unit are all co-located in this area and are clustered around a new central control area,” Eisenlau explained.
Safer Sightlines and Staff Experience
Meeting another critical goal, the new jail dramatically improves security and efficiency for correctional staff, especially with access to the housing units. Treanor and MBI developed a design that offers better visual observation of housing units and ensures access is much more seamless and convenient. To accomplish this, staff members had a strong voice in shaping the spaces.
“The staff was very much involved,” Eisenlau said. “One of the unique things about this project is that it was fully designed during the pandemic. There were numerous Zoom calls about this particular project, more than I’ve ever experienced. But there was significant staff engagement in the development of this jail.”
These dedicated conversations with staff members also had a positive impact on the design of the new housing areas. The new iteration of the jail allows for better detainee management through flexible housing and increased classification options, including separation by medical and mental health and developing spaces for high-containment individuals. Such flexibility helps address both current needs and anticipated shifts in the inmate population, giving Sullivan County justice leaders separation options they never had before.
To view the full project data and learn more about jobsite challenges, including navigating a tight space and plans to integrate the new building with repurposed existing facilities, check out the full Facility of the Month article in the September-October Maintenance & Operations edition of Correctional News.