Juvenile Detention Center Construction

The needs for today's Juvenile Detention facilities require a full understanding of an owner's mission in managing juvenile offenders. At Sundt we pride ourselves on not only knowing how to construct modern juvenile facilities but also in understanding the needs that must be met for these specialized institutions.

Sundt has been working on detention facilities for over three decades and understands their unique requirements and complexities. In addition, our staff collectively has designed and constructed over 100,000 detention beds in various custody levels. Sundt takes a holistic approach during the design and construction phases to assist in site-line studies, inmate management and transfer as well as staff safety.

Most recently Sundt completed the San Bernardino Juvenile Detention and Assessment Facility. This full-service, 280-bed facility included four new housing units, kitchen, warehouse, classrooms, library, clinic, and intake areas. The design-build delivery method helped San Bernardino County achieve all of its project goals.

Through our comprehensive use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), issues can be analyzed and evaluated during the design phase. During construction, we use full-size mock-ups of sleeping rooms and plumbing chases to assure all items will fit appropriately. Security electronics panel mock-ups are an opportunity to work through any dimensional, location, or other potential layout issues. With Sundt's BIM capabilities we are able to review operational and sightline issues. Room interior layout review prior to construction is invaluable in identifying and correcting issues that might cause problems in the future.

Sundt completes a comprehensive review of the design to determine any early or special procurement items required for the project. Early procurement of long-lead items such as precast sleeping rooms, electrical gear, security hardware, and security doors is evaluated to determine the appropriate acquisition schedule for these items. This information is incorporated into the schedule to assure that materials are onsite when needed. There is no learning curve when Sundt is on your project.

The design and construction of juvenile detention facilities have special needs that require ongoing oversight by the entire team. Our staff is experienced in the design, construction, and operation of juvenile facilities and provides valuable input on such issues as:

• Ensuring that the facility's design does not create hazards for staff, visitors, or the juvenile wards
• Furnishings and walls are designed so they do not cause potential hazards during altercations
• Ensuring that materials can withstand heavy use by the juvenile wards and staff without breaking and thereby providing weapons
• All sight lines are optimized to ensure full view of all activities
• All standards for juvenile facility sight lines are met
• Final sweeps of the entire facility and yard areas are conducted to ensure no metal, plastic, or tools are left behind that can be used as weapons
• Ensuring that long-term operating and life-cycle costs are considered for optimum performance
• Ensuring that circulation within the facility and grounds does not produce conflicts between public, staff, and juvenile wards
• Ensuring that the facility has a minimum number of entrances/exits to reduce security breaches
• That entrances and exits are properly screened from the public or juvenile wards.
• Selection of landscaping that provides an ease of maintenance and does not create security concerns
• That buildings are appropriate in height and location and do not cause security breaches
• Recreation yards are located so that the public cannot throw objects to juvenile wards
• Lighting meets your security needs