An Inside Look At Justice Construction

Mary K. McHatton is vice president of the criminal justice division at Turner Construction Co. in Indianapolis, Indiana. She joined the construction management firm last year after spending 25 years with the Indiana DOC.

Joe De Patta: What was your position with the Indiana DOC?

Mary McHatton: First, I was the program director of recreation. Then, over the course of my career, I became the assistant to the superintendent. A position opened in our central office, where I worked for the deputy commissioner of operations. There I inaugurated the accreditation process for the Indiana DOC. It was a marvelous opportunity and a career builder. I decided to become an auditor in order to learn how to deliver accreditation. I learned a plethora of things that were needed in prisons.

Back in the late 1980s, Indiana was experiencing a large building campaign. My boss at the time said that they needed someone to manage the projects and if I wanted to learn something new, that’s what I should do. I knew a lot about standards and space and functionality in prisons, so I said, “Sure.” We built seven major prisons and that’s where I got my construction experience. It was just a great career.

JD: What does your role at Turner entail?

MM: We have 42 business units. As vice president of the Criminal Justice segment, I help nurture relationships with criminal justice clients and look at the projections of what’s going to be built. I also talk with business units and develop plans regarding the company’s interest in going after project X, Y, or Z. My role is to work with pre-construction, to get our name on a short list, and help with client communications. I have a lot of knowledge relating to security issues and I can help with budgets and value engineering. I can suggest various ways for them to get where they need to be with their budget dollars. I’m an advocate for the client as well as Turner.

JD: You have been at Turner Construction about a year now. Can you tell us about your experience over the past 12 months? Has the actual experience differed from what you expected?

MM: One of the concerns I had was leaving the public sector; I had a true sense of serving the public. When I went to a for-profit segment of the industry, Turner gave me a lot of training, got me out there, and introduced me to many people. I had a learning curve moving to the private sector, but I’ll tell you, I have been pleasantly surprised over and over again.

More than 60% of our work is repeat business. Our clients understand the value that we offer. It has been one heck of a ride. It has exceeded my expectations by far. I’m still learning and trying to find my niche. I won a big project up in New York right before Christmas that I had worked on and been involved in the strategy, and the thrill of the victory was just incredible. And the other thing is that when I told different people in the organization, they all shared in my success. I have been well received and it’s been fun.

JD: Are you seeing an increase in the construction of one classification level over another? If so, what do you think is causing the change?

MM: I personally think the big building campaigns of the 80s are slowing down. Those construction projects helped a lot of states get the beds they needed. Crime rates are on a downturn and overcrowding is being handled. Of course, I say that across the board-there are certain states that still need a great deal of help. With state revenues lower than expected, a lot of projects that are needed are being put on hold.

In the late 80s and early 90s we built a lot of super-max facilities. Now I see that most jurisdictions need medium-security beds. Also, counties need courthouses and jails; the existing facilities are getting old and need to be refurbished or replaced. There is a move to separate traffic courts into their own units.

JD: Besides size, what are the differences in building a detention facility from a prison, or a minimum-security facility from a super-max?

MM: There is an increase in price when you go up in security classification. Cells are more costly than dormitories. The amount of security electronics you install in a maximum-security facility is much more expensive than that in a minimum-security prison. The price always goes up with concrete, security, and staffing.

JD: How does the use of pre-cast components affect your work? Are there any other construction elements that help or hinder your work?

MM: Pre-cast is, to me, the premier method in the industry. It helps with the schedule. There aren’t a lot of masons out there anymore who can build the blocks, so it alleviates labor issues. It has enhanced our business and enhanced our schedules. There is more continuity in delivering a fabricated system to a site. Just as important is the consistency of the pouring and appearance. The architects want it to look nice and we want it to be secure.

One of the things that hinders our work is the lead-time for detention hardware and components. Sometimes steel doors are 14 months out, so you have to order them right away. That affects your schedule because they are all custom made.

JD: Is there anything an architect has specified that you were just unable to accommodate? Is there anything you’ve steered an architect or owner away from?

MM: Some architects want to make their statements. With these facilities, functionality is the single most important thing. That’s one of the things I would say with great passion. We build and deliver a facility that is secure for both staff and inmates and sometimes we have to emphasize that aspect to the architects.

I know of projects where architects have specified decorative materials that turned out to require extra support beams and projects where they use architecture to try to disguise a facility. However, with nine rows of razor ribbon around the place, shining and glistening in the sunlight, people know it’s a prison.

JD: How closely do you work with architects and owners on projects? Are these relationships satisfactory?

MM: My first love is direct involvement. I work closely with owners and architects whenever I get a chance. I would love to spend my whole day with them. I find these relationships absolutely satisfactory.

JD: In what way do sophisticated electronic and security features change the scope of your work?

MM: I understand that it is part of the work-I don’t know if it changes the scope of my work. It is a necessary component and a security electronics specialist should be on the team to understand the concepts and deliver it to the client and builder. We need someone who is intimately involved with that ever-changing field.

JD: What would you say are the biggest trends in justice construction?

MM: Definitely pre-cast, that’s first. Technology advancements and security electronics are an important and growing trend, and of course, design-build.

The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) mentality used to be an issue, but it has mostly gone by the wayside, unless you are in a very affluent place.

JD: Can you tell us about projects with which you are currently involved? How many projects are you working on at any one time?

MM: Turner is very proud of the Family Court House that we are going to build in Brooklyn. It’s a $490 million job and has 1.1 million square feet of space.

Repeat customers make us particularly proud, such as Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. We were selected last year to do our fourth project with them and we are going to be construction manager for a courthouse. We did the jail center, jail north, and work release center in previous years. That’s the fourth job they’ve had and we’ve done all of them. We also just got a juvenile facility for the state of Georgia. We will be building four prototypes. We are particularly proud of our repeat customers.

I currently have 80 projects on my lead sheet. I probably work intimately with six or seven at any one time. I prepare qualification proposals and strategize for short-list interviews.

JD: As a construction firm serving the correctional market, what are your biggest challenges?

MM: Meeting the real client and connecting with the sheriffs and wardens. Sometimes it might be the project manager you meet with because you can’t get to the owner. We like to get a pulse on the project before the actual RFP or RFQ comes up.

JD: What critical issues do you see the industry facing in the immediate future? How about the next five or ten years?

MM: Obviously the revenue problems. I think there’s a lot of capital money available and a great deal of it is going to go for security electronics because of the September 11 terrorist attack. Prisons already are pretty secure, but in a lot of cases I think funds will be used to bring the facilities up to current standards, relative to electronic security.

Another critical issue is to help counties find funding for design-build projects. Turner has a department to help expedite that process.

JD: Are you finding that many of your projects are new facilities or expansion projects?

MM: Both. Many times a jurisdiction can’t afford new construction so we expand.

JD: What trends are you seeing with regard to special needs facilities?

MM: There is a definite need for them, especially with an aging inmate population. Every state wants special needs facilities. Whether or not they can afford them is another issue. Although these facilities are not as expensive as building a maximum-security prison, they still increase the department’s footprint and require staffing.

The other important component is the mental health unit, for the acute mentally ill. Those cells often have to be maximum security.

Our special needs facilities in Indiana have included those for AIDS patients and sex offenders and drug abusers. We built 40 group rooms for 800 inmates at one facility. Each room had to be soundproofed because of violent outbursts that take place during therapy sessions. Usually you have three or four group rooms for a thousand-bed prison. This facility had 40 rooms.

JD: Turner is now celebrating 100 years. Is the company planning a celebration?

MM: We are planning a number of gala events throughout the country, which will involve Turner board members, executive management, general managers, employees, and VIPs. Other events also are planned.

JD: Is there anything you’d like to add that we haven’t asked you about?

MM: The transition from the Indiana DOC to Turner has far exceeded my expectations. I never knew it would be this much fun. I spent 25 years as a public servant and there is a core part of me that needs to reach out and do something in addition; I find myself doing that in my community versus on the job.

It’s been a great trip. I’m honored to be a part of such a major corporation that has so much respect for its employees and clients.