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| County Jail Eases Overcrowding with Modular Units |
| By Tony Bertuca, Internet Reporter |
| Published: 07/11/2005 |
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The local jail in Carter County, Tennessee, had capacity for 91 prisoners but was brimming with nearly three times that number last fall when a federal class action lawsuit, filed by three inmates alleging inhumane conditions, forced county officials to alleviate overcrowding at the facility before it lost state certification. After a private settlement agreement stipulated that the county pay the plaintiffs' legal fees and renovate the prison, the Carter County Jail Solution Task Force, in search of a fast and cost-effective approach, opted against the construction of a conventional brick and mortar facility. Instead, the county chose to build a modular jail. "Everybody thinks of a modular as a mobile home built cheap, but not these," said Sheriff John C. Henson, who oversees the jail. "It would take a cutting torch and a saw to get out of the sheet metal and there's four inches of concrete behind it. It was really the quality of the construction that sold me on it. " The modular prison dormitory was built by Eagle Companies of Peoria, Ill., a manufacturer of unitized steel detention structures. The prison became operational in March 2005. It added 96 beds to the Carter County Jail, and saved the county from financial penalties and prevented the loss state certification at the facility. The five units of the modular prison were built in Peoria and customized to the specifications of Carter County officials. Each unit was then shipped approximately 700 miles on a flatbed truck to the prepared foundation adjacent to the county jail. The construction and installation of the facility took six months and cost approximately $1 million, according to county Finance Director Jason Cody. "In a rough figure, I'd say we saved the county in the neighborhood of $300,000 to $500,000," said Cody. "The process of bidding out conventional construction would have taken us one year plus, and that would have been the fast track. The time frame was a factor and we were really under the gun from the federal lawsuit." The 6,480 square-foot prison dormitory houses inmates charged with misdemeanors and consists of five modular units: four living quarters constructed in open bays around the control room at the center. The openness of the structure gives the jailer a clear line of sight and a full view of each space, enabling the facility to function with fewer corrections officers. Each of the four living units sleeps 24 inmates in bunk beds and has three steel sinks and toilets, two stainless steel showers, and was outfitted with electrical wiring and plumbing prior to installation. The entire facility can also be detached piece-by-piece, loaded onto flatbed trucks, and relocated to another site. "It came with a one year guarantee. It had timed locks and alarms. It was just very convenient," said Henson. And although the modular units were purchased for the short-term use of three to five years, Henson said they would be worked into the new prison renovation plan and become a permanent part of the facility. "I don't think we'll ever get rid of them," he said. During the installation phase of the modular units in December of 2004, the existing jail, which still housed felony offenders, was criticized by the Tennessee Corrections Institute and faced losing state certification for faulty plumbing and electricity, unsanitary bathrooms, and outdated medical protocol. But, in the end, the Carter County Jail obtained certification because it demonstrated a commitment to building a better jail by constructing the modular units, according to Cody. "The jail inspector saw the construction and was very complimentary," he said. "A number of jail inspectors have been very positive." Cody said that with 187 beds, Carter County is still overcrowded for its daily average of 220 inmates, but at least now the county has some breathing room to develop financing for the total renovation of the existing jail. "Now we are not grossly overcrowded," said Cody. "They [inmates] were basically on the floor. It was the best we could do at the time and I think it's a common situation across the United States. You want to keep them [offenders] off the streets, but spending money on jails is not a popular thing." Looking back on the project, both Cody and Henson said they would recommend Eagle's units to any corrections facility seeking to alleviate overcrowding. Even after a few minor problems with leaks and electrical wiring along the way, Henson said Eagle stood by its work and always provided assistance. "You've got to get with a good company," he said. "I was very impressed with the quality and would recommend these highly to anybody." Eagle Companies considers itself at the cusp of the cutting-edge modular technology emerging in the corrections industry, according to company Sales Representative Jason Ryder. "Our focus is on detention," he said. "Other people tend to have a product for something else and say, 'Oh yeah, we could use this in detention too.' What we do is designed specifically with detention in mind." While not wanting to reveal the secrets of Eagle's modular system to industry competitors, Ryder said that the success of his company's patent pending modular structure revolves around a relatively basic set of ideas and principals. "You've got the box," he said, "Then you've got the penal fixtures like locks and alarms and the integrating of each of those mechanical systems ... I see it as helping security officers out there do the best they can because they've got tough duty." |
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