NCJ Number
98541
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The Dade County Stockade (Florida) expansion, whose new concept in jail design has been selected by the National Institute of Corrections as a model correctional facility, provides needed bedspace in a safe, secure facility at a cost equal to or less than that of a traditional jail.
Abstract
The expansion is a 1,000-bed, maximum-security facility for male pretrial detainees adjacent to the existing Dade County Stockade. Inmates will be accommodated in 21 housing units with 48 beds each. This design is based on the Federal Bureau of Prisons' concept of functional unit management. Under this concept, the correctional officer works within the living module in a supervisory role. Decentralized facilities increase opportunities for inmate program participation, enhance the relationship between staff and inmates, produce cost savings in staff positions and inmate movement, and reduce inmate stress. During the day, inmates are permitted to move from single-occupancy rooms to an adjacent central dayroom, where they can watch television or exercise. Dining is also in the dayroom space. Inmates are locked in their rooms at night. The new facility complies with the correctional standards of the Florida Administrative Code and the American Correctional Association Standards for Adult Local Detention Facilities. The facility has a noninstitutional appearance to minimize the visual impact of its security and control features. The projected operating cost for a traditional jail is $9.3 million per year, requiring 295 staff positions for a 1,000-bed facility. The yearly operational cost for the functional unit design scheme is projected at $6.2 million, requiring 172 staff positions, resulting in a savings of approximately $3 million per year. The yearly savings in operational costs will pay for the $37 million facility in about 12 years.