Sequatchie County Justice Center
The Sequatchie County Justice Center is designed to accommodate 100 existing and 200 future inmates along with the normal ancillary and support spaces for jail administration, and the Sheriff’s offices including central control, intake booking, visitation, food service, laundry, and other support spaces. When the Sequatchie County Commission decided to replace its antiquated downtown jail, TWH Architects assisted with site selection, needs assessment, and space program. As a result, the Sequatchie County Commission decided to relocate the new Justice Center on Freedonia Road approximately two miles from downtown Dunlap and the existing courthouse. As a result, they decided to ask TWH to design a courtroom along with the clerk’s office and accommodations for the Judge and jury. It was determined that the current need for housing would be approximately 96 beds divided into three pods for the different classifications needed. The housing component was designed with a central guard tower at an upper level to provide direct supervision of each cell and dayroom in addition to the outdoor recreation yard. The housing concept provides for the ability to add pods incrementally up to a total of 200 beds while using the same guard tower for future beds as well as existing beds. This design provided by TWH Architects for low to medium sized jails with adjoining court facilities has been a successful solution for Sequatchie County and a model for other similar size counties that have followed suit. The design requires a very efficient staffing plan in order to minimize operational cost while providing an adjoining courtroom that eliminates transportation costs and security issues related to the movement of inmates from the jail facility to the judicial component. The project was delivered in budget and on time.
