Sep 22 2010
Hendrick Construction won a $5.7 million contract to expand the R. Eugene Johnson Detention Center in Laurens County, S.C., to house more inmates.
The 20,000-square-foot project is scheduled to be complete by fall 2011 and will feature eight housing units on two floors, adding room for 128 more inmates. The new space is flexible, allowing corrections officers to easily sort inmates based on gender and alleged crime.
"The sheriff's office is responsible for housing people with charges ranging from murder to writing bad checks," said Dennis Ashley of DA Architects, LLC, the project's architect. "With such a broad population, and numbers that change daily, they needed a jail design that helps them separate inmates."
R. Eugene Johnson Detention Center
The smaller housing units – each can hold up to 16 inmates – give the detention center greater flexibility than a more traditional layout of two 64-bed dorms. The layout is more cost-effective for Laurens County because it requires fewer corrections officers to monitor the facility.
The units will be built with precast concrete in a semi-circle around a main control room. The control room will be between the two floors, allowing corrections officers to see into each dorm. State-of-the-art electronic equipment in the control room also allows guards to monitor cameras throughout the jail.
"We have been very pleased with Hendrick Construction, and we're glad to have them on board," said Laurens County Administrator Ernest B. Segars.
In addition to the expansion, Hendrick will remodel the existing jail space and add medical facilities, an administrative area and a visitor center. The project calls for upgrades to the security system as well as a new video conferencing system that allows inmates to speak with visitors and court officials without leaving the dorms.
"We're proud to build this much-needed detention center expansion for Laurens County," said Roger Hendrick, president of Hendrick Construction. "The jail will be occupied during construction, and the project will require close coordination with the sheriff's office to ensure the safety and security of the facility at all times."
Source: http://www.hendrickconstruction.com/