U.S. Department of Justice 

National Institute of Corrections 

Jail Planning and Expansion
 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

Second Edition 
U.S. Department of Justice
 

National Institute of Corrections
 

320 First Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20534 

Morris L. Thigpen 

Director 

Tom Beauclair 

Deputy Director 

Virginia A. Hutchinson 

Chief, Jails Division 

Vicci Persons 

Project Manager 

Fran Zandi 

Project Manager 

National Institute of Corrections 

www.nicic.gov 
Jail Planning and Expansion
 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

Second Edition 

January 2010 

NIC Accession 

Number 022668 

James R. Robertson 

This document was originally prepared under Technical Assistance award number 99–J1224 from the National Institute of 

Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. It has been updated under Technical Assistance award number 07–J1038. Points 

of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or 

policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Foreword
 

Jail Planning and Expansion: Local Officials and Their Roles describes a process to help elected 

officials and other policymakers develop jail facilities. It outlines all participants’ roles, the decisions they make, and the products they create. 

The facility development process includes the phases required to plan, locate, design, construct, 

and open a new jail—or expand an existing one. This process was developed by local policymakers, builders, architects, city and county planners, and criminal justice professionals who have 

experienced this process firsthand. 

The nine phases of the facility development process incorporate both concurrent and consecutive 

activities that begin with identifying the need for a new facility and end with evaluating how well 

the new facility is working. The discussion of each of the nine phases lists the major work activities and the products developed. Accompanying exhibits show the roles that key stakeholders 

play in these activities. 

Morris L. Thigpen 

Director 

National Institute of Corrections 

iii 

Preface
 

This publication was originally developed to help communities plan and construct new jails and 

major expansions of existing jails. It provides the framework for understanding the facility development process and the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders. The document is based on 

a review of publications and other resources used in the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) 

Planning of New Institutions Program, interviews with NIC’s consultants, and my experiences 

as a correctional facility employee and manager (1972–88), NIC correctional program specialist 

(1988–90), and correctional consultant and planner (1990–present). 

In 2006, NIC initiated a critical evaluation of the facility development process. In this evaluation 

it was noted that the process was shown as very linear, with one step occurring after another and 

tasks occurring in rigid sequence. However, the process is actually fluid rather than rigid or linear, with a number of activity tracks that continue through multiple phases of the process. 

To illustrate this more fluid process, NIC has developed a Facility Development Process 

Flowchart for this edition of Jail Planning and Expansion (see the appendix). The flowchart and 

this edition’s updated text provide an accurate depiction of a process that has been used successfully for many years. 

Many individuals and organizations contributed ideas and materials to the first edition of this 

document. The following colleagues involved in the Planning of New Institutions Program since 

1979 have contributed ideas found in these pages: Gary Bowker, Gail Elias, Gary Frank, Dennis 

Liebert, Butch Reynolds, Ken Ricci, and David Voorhis. Richard Geaither, a correctional program specialist in NIC’s Jails Division, was the project manager who initiated the project and was 

a reliable supporter and adviser. Karin Platt and Carrie Robertson helped produce the initial draft. 

In revising this publication, I again received assistance from Dennis Liebert and Gail Elias. Seth 

Robertson helped with the initial draft by providing expertise in creating exhibits. Vicci Persons, 

previously a correctional program specialist with NIC, initiated a revision of the facility development process and of this document and also assisted with the development of this updated edition. 

Fran Zandi, a correctional program specialist in NIC’s Jails Division, assumed the role of project 

manager, and I thank her for her patience and assistance. 

James R. Robertson 

v 

Contents
 

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
 

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
 

What Is the Facility Development Process?........................................... 1
 

Who Are the Participants?........................................................ 3
 

Elected and Appointed Officials............................................... 4
 

Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
 

Planning Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
 

Community Advisory Committee.............................................. 5
 

Facility Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
 

Representatives of Justice Agencies............................................ 6
 

Transition Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
 

Design Team (Architects, Technical Advisers, and Specialists) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
 

Contractor........................................................ 7
 

What Types of Decisions Must Be Made? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
 

How Much Time and Money Are Spent on Each Phase? ................................ 11
 

How Is the Budget Developed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
 

Can Participation by Local Officials in the Beginning Save Money at the End? . . . . . . . . 13
 

Phases, Tasks, and Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
 

Phase 1: Project Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
 

Phase 2: Needs Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
 

Phase 3: Facility Program Development ....................................... 20
 

The Facility Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
 

Site Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
 

Options for Project Delivery.............................................. 23
 

Phase 4: Project Definition and Implementation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
 

Phase 5: Design........................................................... 26
 

Phase 6: Bidding and Negotiations............................................ 33
 

Phase 7: Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
 

Phase 8: Occupancy and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
 

Phase 9: Postoccupancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
 

vii 
Conclusion ................................................................... 43
 

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
 

Appendix: Facility Development Process Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
 

Exhibits 

Exhibit 1. A Participant’s Influence on a Project................................... 1
 

Exhibit 2. Sample Organization Chart for Jail Facility Planning Process ................ 3
 

Exhibit 3. Facility Development Process Phases .................................. 12
 

Exhibit 4. Typical Allocation of Project Time (Phases 2–8)......................... 12
 

Exhibit 5. Typical Allocation of Project Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
 

Exhibit 6. Cost of Change Over Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
 

Exhibit 7. Selecting Consultants............................................... 17
 

Exhibit 8. Needs Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
 

Exhibit 9. Sample Operational Scenario Flowchart ................................ 21
 

Exhibit 10. Functional Programming ............................................ 22
 

Exhibit 11. Site Evaluation.................................................... 23
 

Exhibit 12. Project Definition and Implementation Plan ............................. 25
 

Exhibit 13. Sample Site Master Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
 

Exhibit 14. Site Analysis and Development of Preliminary Site Master Plan............. 27
 

Exhibit 15. Sample Adjacency Diagram for Jail Receiving and Discharge Area .......... 28
 

Exhibit 16. Schematic Design Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
 

Exhibit 17. Design Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
 

Exhibit 18. Development of Construction Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
 

Exhibit 19. Bidding and Negotiations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
 

Exhibit 20. Oversight of New Facility Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
 

Exhibit 21. Oversight of Construction Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
 

Exhibit 22. Transition Activities: Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
 

Exhibit 23. Occupancy and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
 

Exhibit 24. Postoccupancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
 

viii 
exhibit 1

A Participant’s Influence on a Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is the Facility Development Process?
 

The facility development process includes 

the phases, tasks, and activity tracks 

associated with planning, designing, constructing, and opening a new jail facility. 

The same process is also required for the 

renovation or expansion of an existing jail. 

Planning and constructing a jail is more 

technically complex and costly than most 

other construction projects, partly because 

of the special construction materials and 

systems used to make it secure. Because 

such a facility also tends to be more 

expensive to operate than a conventional 

building, decisions made during the development of such a project have a long-term 

impact on the community it serves. A 

participant’s ability to influence a change 

in the project, however, decreases as the 

process moves from planning to design 

and construction, when the costs of implementing change increase (see exhibit 1). 

This document is intended to serve two 

primary purposes. It outlines the process 

elected officials and other policymakers follow when planning, building, and 

occupying new or expanded jails. It also 

describes the roles participants play in 

the process, the decisions they make, and 

the products that result from the process. 

When making these decisions, participants should not simply recreate the old 

jail; this is an opportunity to develop new 

strategies for managing inmates and creating a facility that will serve the community well for the next 20–30 years. 

Understanding the facility development 

process allows those involved to more 

effectively perform their roles in the process. Each participant will feel greater 

ownership in the project and be able and 

willing to assume control of the process 

when appropriate. Ideas can then be readily shared, and the project can be brought 

to successful completion. 

exhibit 1 

A Participant’s Influence on a Project 

A participant's ability to influence the project
 

decreases as the process moves along.
 

1 

Cost 

Ability to 

influence a 

change in the Cost of a project change 

Time 

exhibit 2

Sample Organization Chart for Jail Facility Planning Process 

Who Are the Participants?
 

3 

transition team; the design team (architects, technical advisers, and specialists); 

and the contractor. (Participants’ titles and 

positions vary by jurisdiction.) Exhibit 

2 presents a sample organization chart 

for the jail facility planning process. The 

remaining sections of this chapter discuss 

the role each group shown in the exhibit 

plays in the process. 

The types of participants typically 

involved in the planning, design, and 

construction of jails include the elected 

and appointed government officials with 

fiscal responsibility for incarceration and 

corrections activities; the project manager; 

the planning committee; the community 

advisory committee; facility managers; 

representatives of justice agencies; the 

exhibit 2 

Community 

advisory 

committee 

Appointed county 

administrator 

Planning 

committee 

Project 

manager 

Facility 

managers 

Representatives of 

justice agencies 

Transition 

team 

Design 

team 

Contractor 

Elected board of 

county commissioners 

Sample Organization Chart for Jail Facility Planning Process 
Elected and Appointed 

Officials 

Elected and appointed officials include county 

commissioners, supervisors, legislators, freeholders, administrators, and city/county managers. 

This group of officeholders and lawmakers represents the interest of the citizens by authorizing 

appropriate funding for law enforcement and 

detention services. They must also ensure that 

these services are provided in the most costeffective way possible. 

These officials grant final approval for many 

steps in the planning process, including the program and operational budgets, use of consultants, 

site selection, establishment of the community 

advisory committee, designs, specifications, bidding procedures and documents, contract documents, construction, staffing, and other activities 

that support and guide the jail’s development and 

use. Although the officials have final approval 

responsibility for these activities, they are generally not involved in many of the details and 

instead rely heavily on the recommendations of 

the planning team and project manager as they 

make their decisions. 

Project Manager 

As the hub of all planning, design, and construction activities, the project manager coordinates 

the entire facility development process. He/she 

either performs the tasks outlined for each phase 

or delegates the work to another planning committee member or consultant. Responsibilities 

include monitoring the project throughout all 

phases, attending all critical meetings, and producing the official project record. A current 

employee of the jurisdiction with the required 

skills and resources—a correctional staff member, an engineer, a city or county planner, a 

county or state architect, or a criminal justice 

planner—may serve in this role. 

Frequently, two individuals share the project 

manager role, with both representing the owner. 

One manager will assume oversight of the 

new facility’s design and construction and the 

other will manage facility transition—the planning, development, and implementation of the 

new facility’s operations. These roles overlap 

throughout the course of the project, with the 

design and construction manager having a larger 

role in the beginning stages of the project and 

the operations manager having a larger role 

closer to the end. The operations manager will 

usually be responsible for leading the transition 

team (see section titled “Transition Team” later 

in this chapter). 

A jurisdiction may choose to contract for the 

services of the design and construction manager 

and hire an independent professional consultant. 

In most cases, the responsibility for selecting 

this manager rests with the organization that has 

fiscal control of the project. The operations manager is generally selected from the user agency. 

Planning Committee 

The planning committee meets regularly and 

includes the individuals who will perform most 

of the planning tasks throughout the facility 

development process. This committee includes 

the project manager and members of the groups 

most affected by the construction of a new facility, such as elected and appointed officials, 

facility managers, and representatives of justice 

agencies. 

The project manager supports the planning committee and guides it through each phase of the 

facility development process. For example, in 

the needs assessment phase (phase 2), the planning committee helps collect and analyze data 

about the populations to be housed in the jail 

and reviews draft reports prepared by the correctional planning consultant. Later in the facility 

development process, the committee supports 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

4 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and reviews the work of the consultants hired for 

the project, reviews construction progress, and 

advises on change orders. Committee members 

also review draft reports, recommend sites for 

the facility, review the design against the completed space and functional programs, approve 

final plans and specifications, review bids, 

provide support for the move, and develop the 

activation plan. 

Community Advisory 

Committee 

Community participation in planning is impor­

tant because the jail belongs to the community it 

serves; it is not solely the concern of the sheriff or 

director of corrections. The type of facility a com­

munity builds and the way it is used are as much 

a reflection of community values as they are of 

local, state, and federal laws. It is common for 

stakeholders such as victim advocates, business 

leaders, the clergy, educators, and elected officials 

to actively participate on the community advi­

sory committee. Stakeholders who have overall 

responsibility for the jail, such as county commis­

sioners and the sheriff, should also be represented 

on the community advisory committee. 

The community advisory committee can provide 

insight into the types of concerns and questions 

the community will have when discussing a new 

jail project. Throughout the process, the committee offers advice and may also review planning 

committee reports. Committee members are kept 

informed of the progress and act as ambassadors to the community, particularly in the early 

phases of the project. 

Generally, community advisory committees are 

established during the needs assessment phase. 

However, communities that have attempted to 

gain voter approval for a new jail project and 

have not been successful will often form the 

committee before the start of a needs assessment. 

In such cases, the committee may be involved 

in discussions of alternatives to construction and 

the evaluation of alternative programs that may 

affect the number of beds required. 

Facility Managers 

Facility managers, including the sheriff, jail 

administrator, and warden or director of corrections, must take an active role during the entire 

facility development process. Facility managers 

have immediate responsibility for detention and 

correctional services and are often placed in the 

difficult position of having to explain past decisions or practices and suggest future approaches. 

Throughout the project, facility managers participate in the decisionmaking process and 

also collect information to help other planners 

responsible for decisionmaking. Facility managers serve as planning resources and are often 

consulted for information, policy interpretation, 

and input on the development of site criteria, 

schematic designs, and contract documents. They 

also review bids and construction progress and 

advise on change orders. Finally, facility managers assign staff to, coordinate the move to, and 

activate the new facility. 

Included in this group is the transition team 

leader. Although the transition team may not 

be formed until later in the process, it is advisable to have the leader participate in the process 

from the earliest phases and, as the project 

proceeds, take an increasingly active role in 

decisionmaking. 

Correctional staff have a tremendous amount of knowledge to contribute to the planning process. 

Because they are on the “front lines,” they can 

inform planners about the difficulties they face 

daily in the current facility. They ultimately will 

work in the new facility and will approach their 

new environment more enthusiastically when they 

have been involved in its early planning stages. 

5 
Representatives of Justice 

Agencies 

Typically, members of justice agencies (such as 

court personnel; prosecutors; defense attorneys; 

and probation, parole, and pretrial services staff) 

are asked to serve on an advisory or planning 

team because the agencies’ policies and practices 

have a direct impact on the jail. Each of these 

agencies makes many decisions that influence 

who goes to jail and for what length of time. 

Representatives of justice agencies also serve 

as planning resources and are consulted for 

information and policy interpretation. They also 

provide input in determining the need for consultants and developing site criteria that support 

a close relationship between justice system components and the new facility. The agencies that 

will be housed in the new facility will assist in 

the planning process, help coordinate the move, 

and contribute to the annual facility performance 

report. 

Transition Team 

The transition team is charged with planning, 

developing, and implementing the new facility’s 

operations. Because most jurisdictions have little 

experience with facility construction or transition, considerable uncertainty often exists about 

who should actually do the work associated with 

transition. In many jails, this situation is further 

complicated by inadequate staffing for current 

operations. Jurisdictions that have had the greatest success with transition have used a full-time 

team dedicated to the transition process. 

Although there is no simple answer to the question of how to organize staff for the transition 

process, experience has shown that transition to 

a new facility is not a part-time job. The role of 

transition team leader is pivotal; he/she will be 

accountable for coordinating the overall transition process. Even in the smallest facilities, a 

great deal of work is required to get ready to 

start operations in the new facility. These tasks 

are primarily the jurisdiction’s responsibility. 

Although the architect, contractor, and/or consultant can help with the process and some of the 

tasks in specific areas, much of the work has to 

be done by the jurisdiction. 

The transition team leader is responsible for 

establishing and meeting transition goals and 

time and cost objectives; to ensure success, the 

team leader should routinely and systematically 

evaluate the jurisdiction’s progress in meeting 

these objectives. He/she must be able to manage 

many tasks at once, set and monitor deadlines, 

delegate effectively, and identify and track the 

thousands of tasks associated with transition. 

Design Team (Architects, 

Technical Advisers, and 

Specialists) 

Most jurisdictions hire consultants to help with 

specific tasks throughout the facility development 

process. Criminal justice planners, architects, 

landscape architects, engineers, security and 

electronics consultants, financial professionals, 

master planners, energy specialists, construction 

managers, real estate assessors, geologists, environmental specialists, cost estimators, and food 

service consultants may be hired to serve as technical advisers and help develop each phase of the 

project, depending on the required task. Many of 

these consultants are included in the design team 

because they have a role in the design process. 

Although they may not be designers, they are 

used to support the design effort and are part of 

the team. 

Many of these consultants may act as subconsultants to the criminal justice planner and/or 

architect. Consultants may collect and analyze 

data, prepare draft reports and final documents, 

conduct evaluations and special studies, prepare 

documents for approval, and serve as project 

manager. More specifically, consultants may 

develop the site master plan, prepare the 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

6 
 

 

 

 

 

 

schematic design, complete the plans and 

specifications, manage bidding and negotiations, 

advise on change orders, and prepare the punch 

list and as-built drawings. 

Although specialists may be involved in and 

may even perform major tasks, the jurisdiction 

must control the planning process. Whether or 

not consultants are used, the process is the same 

and requires considerable involvement in time 

and resources from the jurisdiction. 

Contractor 

The contractor is charged with constructing the 

building using the specifications and drawings 

prepared by the design team. In a traditional construction project (design-bid-build), the jurisdiction 

hires the contractor when the construction specifications and drawings are completed. In other types 

of projects, such as design-build, the contractor 

may actually participate as part of the design team. 

(Different project implementation plans are discussed in the chapter “Phases, Tasks, and Tracks.”) 

The contractor is responsible for reviewing the 

bid documents, carrying out the directions provided in those documents, hiring and managing 

the subcontractors, submitting alternative materials for approval, and other tasks. The contractor 

must work closely with the project manager, 

the onsite design team representative (generally 

an architect), the transition team leader, and the 

transition team to ensure that the project is completed as planned. 

7 

 

 

What Types of Decisions Must Be Made? 

Planning and developing a new jail is a 

complex and specialized process. The 

decisions made early in the process have a 

long-term impact. For example, what may 

appear to be a straightforward decision, 

such as purchasing furniture, can be complicated when it is considered as part of 

the total life cycle of the facility. Effective 

decisionmaking can be hampered when 

tasks are not organized and roles are not 

clear. Therefore, throughout the process, 

project managers must determine what 

decisions are needed and who is responsible for making them. 

Participants in the facility development 

process perform one or more of the following actions for the tasks and track 

activities within each phase: produce, 

approve, coordinate, advise, and be 

informed. In a few instances, groups have 

no role in an activity. 

•	 Produce. The participant performs all or 

part of the task or track activity during 

a given phase. For example, the individual or committee that produces an 

item gathers and analyzes the information needed, prepares a draft report, and 

finalizes the document. The individual 

or group also is accountable for the 

quality of the information used to make 

the decision. 

•	 Approve. The participant must authorize 

or veto a decision before it is implemented. The individual or group also is 

accountable for the quality of the decision. 

•	 Coordinate. The participant takes the 

initiative in a particular decisionmaking 

area, develops the alternative options, 

analyzes the situation, coordinates group 

activity, and is accountable if no decisions are made. 

•	 Advise. The participant must be consulted for specific input and policy 

interpretation at various times during the 

project. The individual or group serves 

as a resource for decisionmaking but 

may not be involved in the decision. 

•	 Be informed. The participant may be 

notified after a decision is made but 

before it is publicly announced. The 

individual or group must be aware of 

and understand the issue but is not 

required to provide input. 

The exhibits accompanying discussions of 

the nine phases of the facility development 

process in the chapter “Phases, Tasks, and 

Tracks” show which of the above actions 

9 
are performed by participants for key tasks 

and track activities. For example, exhibit 8 

(page 19) shows that elected and appointed 

officials such as county commissioners approve 

the mission statement during the needs assessment phase. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

10 
 

 

How Much Time and Money Are Spent on Each Phase? 

The facility development process consists 

of nine phases: 

Phase 1: Project Recognition. 

Phase 2: Needs Assessment. 

Phase 3: Facility Program Development. 

Phase 4: Project Definition and 


Implementation Plan.
 

Phase 5: Design. 

Phase 6: Bidding and Negotiations. 

Phase 7: Construction. 

Phase 8: Occupancy and Operation. 

Phase 9: Postoccupancy. 

Although the activities in each phase are 

distinct, overlap occurs among phases and 

decisions are made that transcend phases. 

Therefore, one phase cannot simply be 

started and finished without consideration 

of the previous and subsequent phases. At 

certain points in the planning process, the 

decision to proceed is contingent on the 

results of previous phases; in other words, 

they are “go/no-go” decision points. 

In addition, facility development process 

tracks affect and support the project but 

do not result in a new building. For example, site selection is a major component 

of the facility development process, but 

it does not result in the construction of a 

facility. The Facility Development Process 

Flowchart in the appendix addresses these 

overlapping activities as tracks that flow 

throughout the process. They include multiple activities that occur as the planning 

progresses, construction begins, and occupancy takes place. The nine phases and 

estimated number of months to completion are shown in exhibit 3 (page 12). 

On average, the jail facility development process takes 50 months from needs 

assessment (phase 2) through occupancy 

(phase 8) (see exhibit 4, page 12). The 

construction phase consumes the greatest 

proportion of time. However, planning 

and design require significant blocks of 

time as well. Planning, design, and construction usually can be accomplished in 

approximately 47 months, but often more 

time is needed because of the complexity 

of the process. 

How Is the Budget 

Developed? 

The project budget includes all of the 

costs that are necessary to plan, design, 

11 
exhibit 3

Facility Development Process Phases

exhibit 4

Typical Allocation of Project Time (Phases 2–8)

exhibit 3 

Facility Development Process Phases 

Phase 1: 

Project 

Recognition 

(time varies) 

Phase 2: 

Needs 

Assessment 

(4–6 months) 

Phase 4: 

Project Definition 

and Implementation 

Plan 

(4–6 months) 

Phase 5: 

Design 

(8–12 months) 

Phase 7: 

Construction 

(14–24 months) 

Phase 8: 

Occupancy and 

Operation 

(2–4 months) 

Phase 3: 

Facility Program 

Development 

(4–6 months) 

Phase 6: 

Bidding and 

Negotiations 

(2–4 months) 

Phase 9: 

Postoccupancy 

(6 months) 

exhibit 4 

Typical Allocation of Project Time (Phases 2–8) 

Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 

0 5 10 15 25 28 47 50 

Months 

Note: Phase 1 is not shown because the amount of time involved in identifying the need for a new facility varies 

significantly by jurisdiction. Phase 9 is not shown because this phase occurs after occupancy. 

locate, construct, and occupy a new jail. 

Planning and design costs include the work of 

the criminal justice planner; the design team 

(architects, engineers, and specialty consultants 

to help plan food service, security, and laundry); 

and the project manager. On average, 65 percent 

of the project budget is dedicated to construction 

(see exhibit 5). Construction costs include site 

acquisition and development; actual construction; fixed furniture and equipment, also known 

as FF&E (typically laundry machines, food 

service equipment, bunks and other housing 

unit items, and security equipment); profit and 

overhead for the contractor; and a contractor’s 

contingency. 

A separate owner’s contingency must be maintained throughout the project to address any 

unforeseen costs such as wetland mitigation, a 

special code requirement for additional smoke 

evacuation systems, or change orders that occur 

during construction. The contingency should be 

maintained until most of the construction has 

been completed (typically when construction is 

95 percent complete) and can then be substantially reduced through the occupancy period. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

12 
exhibit 5

Typical Allocation of Project Funds

exhibit 6

Cost of Change Over Time

exhibit 5 exhibit 6 

Typical Allocation of Project Funds Cost of Change Over Time 

Other 23% 

Design 6–8% 

Time 

Construction 65% 

Occupancy 2% 

Planning 2% 

The costs of occupying the jail include ownerprovided furniture and equipment and the costs 

associated with the transition team. Typical 

owner-provided furniture and equipment include 

facility data and communication wiring (with the 

contractor providing the conduit), loose items 

of furniture, linens, inmate uniforms, computer 

and management information systems (with 

the contractor providing the security system), 

a telephone system, inmate and staff exercise 

equipment, training-room equipment, and facility signage. Costs for the transition team include 

both full- and part-time staff assigned to the 

team, equipment and supplies for the team, a 

travel budget to tour other projects and attend 

conferences, and the leasing of office space for 

the team. 

Cost 

Can Participation by Local 

Officials in the Beginning Save 

Money at the End? 

Throughout the project, the degree of participation by local officials varies with each phase. 

Early on, their decisions affect the design of the 

facility and have a great impact on the project’s 

outcome. Therefore, local officials have the 

greatest impact at the lowest cost in the early 

stages. The cost of making changes to the project 

increases more dramatically as time progresses, 

as shown in exhibit 6. 

13 

Phases, Tasks, and Tracks 

This chapter describes the nine phases 

of the facility development process and 

the tasks associated with each phase. The 

major work activities and anticipated 

products resulting from each phase are 

also discussed. Because the facility development process is not a simple linear 

process and decisions can affect multiple 

phases, a series of activity tracks was 

developed to demonstrate activities that 

may occur throughout the process and are 

not limited to a single phase. Each of the 

following tracks identifies activities for 

participants to consider at certain times 

during the process: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Charts and 

monitors the outcomes of alternatives 

to incarceration and/or criminal justice 

policy changes recommended during the 

needs assessment phase. 

•	 Transition: Includes all of the activities 

required to implement the operational 

plan that was established during program development. 

•	 Site: Focuses specifically on site selection actions. Site selection can be one of 

the most intensive tracks of the facility 

development process. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: 

Includes all of the activities associated 

with developing, managing, monitoring, and financing both the building 

and future operations. These activities 

include cost checkpoints that occur 

throughout the process, particularly in 

the early phases. The cost checkpoints 

are ultimately used to inform the cost 

benefit analysis (also known as an economic feasibility study). 

•	 Project delivery method: Identifies 

when the project delivery method is 

evaluated and selected. 

•	 Outcomes: Identifies those outcomes 

and/or products that occur at each phase 

and become part of the project’s documentation. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: 

Identifies the primary tasks involved in 

selecting, coordinating, communicating 

with, and managing the work of nongovernment professionals who work on 

the project. 

•	 Building support for the project: 

Focuses on the activities required to 

build a constituency inside and outside 

of government to support the project. 

This track shows when a community 

advisory committee should be formed 

and when public hearings and public 

15 
information activities may be conducted. The 

facility development process is typically a very 

public process that requires constituent support 

at each phase. 

This chapter includes exhibits summarizing 

many of the tasks and track activities to be 

performed during the nine phases of the facility development process; the participants (e.g., 

elected and appointed officials, project manager, 

facility managers); and the type of action each 

participant is responsible for (i.e., produce, 

approve, coordinate, advise, or be informed). 

(See also the Facility Development Process 

Flowchart in the appendix for a comprehensive 

summary of the nine phases of the planning process and associated tasks and activity tracks.) 

Phase 1: Project Recognition 

In phase 1, participants are involved in the 

following tasks: 

•	 Recognizing the problem. Is jail crowding 

the precipitating event? Is the facility in need 

of expansion, repair, or replacement? 

•	 Developing the project’s organizational 

structure. Who can and should be included in 

the process? What role will they play? 

•	 Identifying resources. Where can data be 

found? Who can retrieve needed data? What 

information technology is available? 

•	 Identifying the agency taking the lead. 

Which agency will be responsible for facilitating the process, ensuring assignments are completed, and noting the decisions that are made? 

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Site: Gathering information for the selection 

of the facility site. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Identifying 

the financial considerations for the project. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Evaluating 

the need for a criminal justice planner or an 

architectural firm with a criminal justice planner for project guidance. 

The first phase of the facility development process is often initiated by those responsible for 

managing the current facility and is supported 

by those who authorize appropriate funding for 

law enforcement and detention services, such as 

county commissioners and supervisors or city 

managers. Unfortunately, although the issue may 

be raised early in the process, the discussions 

usually begin after it is determined that the current facility is unable to operate efficiently and 

effectively under current conditions, and not in 

anticipation of these events occurring. 

Once there is interest in exploring the problems, 

it is important to identify which agencies and 

activities are affected and to invite representatives from these agencies to help resolve these 

issues. An agency will need to be appointed to 

take the lead in the discussions. A member (or 

members) of the governing body must participate 

in the process. It is important for them to be 

visibly involved and to recognize that a crowding 

problem or deteriorating facility is not solely 

the operating agency’s responsibility. As the 

process moves ahead to the development of a 

needs assessment, the county may choose to 

begin analyzing its financial options for proceeding and to consider alternatives to the construction of a new facility. 

Most jurisdictions do not have full-time staff 

available to plan and build a new facility, nor 

do they have staff with the specialized skills 

required to perform all the tasks in each phase; 

they also may not be able to hire such specialized staff. If the jurisdiction does not have staff 

with these specialized skills, it will be important 

to carefully evaluate the need for a consultant (a 

criminal justice planner) during the project recognition or needs assessment phases. The design 

team and construction managers are selected as 

the project progresses. To avoid delays or the 

temptation to make quick decisions, consultants 

should be hired early in the process so they will 

have sufficient time to complete their work. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

16 
Consultants are typically selected through an 

objective process that uses the formal mechanism of a request for proposal (RFP). Two types 

of RFPs are available: 

•	 Open RFP. The open RFP solicits responses 

from all qualified firms. The county or city 

establishes basic criteria for the consultant, 

advertises in appropriate media such as newspapers and trade journals, and accepts proposals from all firms that meet the established 

criteria. 

•	 Invitational RFP. The invitational RFP first 

issues a request for qualifications to selected 

exhibit 7 

firms and then issues the RFP to the firms on 

the “short list” of those that qualify. 

It should be emphasized that consultants need 

substantial input from key jurisdictional representatives if they are expected to develop workable 

solutions. A consultant’s approach to the jurisdiction’s needs and openness to the involvement of 

the jurisdiction’s representatives are as important to the project as are his/her technical skills. 

Exhibit 7 shows the roles that participants play in 

selecting consultants. 

Selecting Consultants 

Track Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Evaluate need 

for consultant 

(CJ planner or 

architectural firm 

with CJ planner) 

Approve Coordinate Advise Not yet formed Advise Advise 

Hire consultant Approve Coordinate Advise Not yet formed Advise Advise 

Finalize consultant contract 

Approve Advise, approve Advise Not yet formed Advise Advise 

Manage 

consultant 

Advise Approve, coordinate Advise Not yet formed Advise Advise 

CJ = criminal justice 

* This exhibit shows activities in the professional services acquisition track during the early phases of the facility development process. Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other 

consultants may assist with any and all track activities. 

17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 2: Needs Assessment 

In phase 2, participants are involved in the following tasks: 

•	 Developing	a	policy	group.

•	 Reviewing	applicable	standards	and	legal	

requirements. 

•	 Developing	the	system	mission	statement	and	

goals. 

•	 Evaluating	the	current	criminal	justice	system	

and policies. 

•	 Evaluating	the	existing	facility	for	standards	

compliance. 

•	 Evaluating	existing	alternative	programs.

•	 Evaluating	current	staffing	levels	against	the	

staffing levels that are needed. 

•		Identifying	options,	including:

•	 Evaluating	changes	(policies	and	practices)	

in criminal justice systems. 

•		Evaluating	the	facility	to	determine	whether	

renovation/expansion or new construction 

is required. 

•	 Evaluating	new	nonfacility	alternative	

programs. 

•	 Deciding	to	begin	program	development.

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Transition: Appointing a transition team 

leader who will be involved in all parts of the 

project. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Developing 

cost estimates for the project and staffing/ 

operational costs for the first cost checkpoint 

for the project and the project budget model. 

•	 Outcomes: Developing and producing a needs 

assessment report and a determination of 

inmate capacity needs by year. 

•	 Building support for the project: Forming a 

community advisory committee. 

The needs assessment report is often the first document to be developed as part of a comprehensive 

criminal justice system master plan. The needs 

assessment analyzes trends in the criminal justice 

system and helps direct the criminal justice master 

plan. Historical patterns in crime rates, arrest rates, 

facility admissions, and average lengths of stay 

are examined to determine the impact these trends 

have on the size and type of the inmate population. Profiling the inmate population establishes 

its criminal, adjudication, behavioral, social, and 

demographic characteristics. 

This data analysis allows the county or city to 

consider alternative, noncustody sanctions, which 

are less expensive than adding more beds to a 

detention facility. The analysis also identifies 

the needs of the particular facility and provides 

information for subsequent phases in the facility 

development process. 

The needs assessment report summarizes the 

policies and practices guiding the operation of 

the jail and the criminal justice system. It also 

includes the system mission statement, which 

clarifies its purpose and defines the jurisdiction’s 

goals and objectives. The underlying philosophy that reflects the community’s values must 

be established during this step. In addition, the 

needs assessment report includes the first cost 

checkpoint (based on estimates of staffing and 

operational costs). 

The criminal justice master plan will examine 

in greater detail the policies and practices of the 

entire local criminal justice system. This document includes information about criminal justice agencies’ current practices and operations, 

defines policies that specify how each criminal 

justice agency should carry out its duties and 

responsibilities, the nature of the agencies’ relationships to one another, and their responsibility 

for managing jail resources. The criminal justice 

master plan will also identify functional and 

space deficiencies and subsequently become a 

critical instrument not only for the construction 

of a new jail facility but also for its operation for 

years to come. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

18 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 8 shows the roles that elected and 

appointed officials, facility managers, representatives of justice agencies, and other participants in the facility development process play 

in the development of the needs assessment. 

Participants’ roles in each area are spelled out 

according to the type of action required of them. 

Once appointed, the transition leader initially 

operates as part of the facility manager group, but 

later in the process moves into a role that more 

closely resembles that of the project manager. 

exhibit 8 

Go/no-go decision point. At this point in the 

facility development process, those involved 

must evaluate whether the process can feasibly 

continue or whether alternative options provide 

better opportunities for addressing the problems 

(e.g., if the problem is crowding, the evaluation 

may determine whether adjustments in criminal 

justice system practices can shorten the length 

of time between arrest and sentencing, thereby 

reducing the jail population). 

Needs Assessment 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Review appli- Approve Coordinate Advise, approve Advise Advise, approve Advise, approve 

cable standards 

and legal 

requirements 

Develop facility’s Approve Coordinate Advise, produce, Advise Advise, produce, Advise, approve 

mission state- approve approve 

ment and goals 

Determine Advise, approve Coordinate Advise Advise Advise, produce Advise, produce 

whether renovation, expansion, 

or new construction is required 

Evaluate new Advise, approve Coordinate Advise, approve Advise Advise, produce, Advise, produce, 

nonfacility alter- approve approve 

native programs 

Track Activity 

Conduct first 

cost checkpoint 

Approve Produce, coordinate Advise, approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Develop/produce 

needs assessment report 

Approve Coordinate, produce Advise, approve Advise Advise, approve Advise 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 19 
 

 

Phase 3: Facility Program 

Development 

In phase 3, participants are involved in the 

following tasks: 

•	 Developing	a	functional	program,	which	

includes: 

•	 Developing	operational	principles	and	

functional scenarios. 

•	 Reviewing	applicable	state	and	national	

standards. 

•	 Developing	a	staffing	plan	for	the	new	

facility. 

•	 Developing	a	space	program,	which	includes:

•	 Identifying	square	footage	needs	for	the	

new facility. 

•	 Developing	adjacency	diagrams.

•	 Analyzing	design	criteria.

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Monitoring the 

impacts of nonfacility alternatives and criminal 

justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Involving the user team in the 

tasks and in the process of making decisions. 

•	 Site: Determining basic site requirements, 

advertising, and evaluating potential sites. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Developing 

construction/project costs and staffing/operational costs for the new facility and establishing a second cost checkpoint for the project. 

•	 Project delivery method: Identifying project 

delivery options. 

•	 Outcomes: Producing the facility program 

(includes functional and space programs). 

•	 Professional services acquisition: If necessary 

(and not already done), obtaining assistance 

from a criminal justice planner or an architectural firm with a criminal justice planner. 

•	 Building support for the project: Involving 

the community advisory committee in the decisionmaking aspect of the project. 

The Facility Program 

The functional and space programs are brought 

together in the facility program, a document that 

tells the architects how the jail will function. The 

facility program defines and describes the desired 

operation and workflow of each area of the new 

facility and identifies the spaces (including adjacent spaces), users, and equipment and furnishings that will support the jail’s operation. It often 

includes operational scenario flowcharts, such 

as the one for a facility receiving area shown in 

exhibit 9. 

Functional programming, which defines how the 

jail will operate, is a prerequisite to space programming, which stipulates the physical spaces 

needed to support the jail’s operation. Although 

functional programming may include space programming, they are often developed as separate 

documents. Without these program documents, 

the design phase of the project occurs in a vacuum and it is unlikely that the completed facility 

will meet users’ needs. Facility managers must 

be actively involved in functional programming. 

In addition, because this step can be highly technical, the services of criminal justice planners, 

architects, or other consultants may be required. 

Exhibit 10 (page 22) shows the roles that participants play in functional programming. 

Site Evaluation 

Site evaluation must be approached with care and 

sensitivity because the selection of a site (which 

usually takes place in phase 4) has significant 

technical, financial, and political implications. 

Historically, jails have not been welcome additions to communities, but advances in design 

and technology (such as sealed buildings) have 

reduced noise and made it possible for these 

facilities to be good neighbors. If necessary, 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

20 
exhibit 9

Sample Operational Scenario Flowchart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exhibit 9 

Sample Operational Scenario Flowchart 

Inmate Reception Inmate Booking 

Arresting officer 

notifies jail of 

incoming arrestee. 

Jail notifies booking 

of arrestee’s 

impending arrival. 

Preparations are 

made for special 

cases. 

Arresting officer enters 

sallyport, secures 

weapon, and escorts 

arrestees to entry. 

Booking officer 

determines whether 

medical clearance is 

required. 

If so, reception is 

terminated. 

After entry, special 

precautions may be 

taken for uncooperative 

or combative arrestees. 

Arrestee is searched, 

uncuffed. Property is 

confiscated. Arrestee 

is formally accepted. 

Booking officer escorts 

arrestee to booking 

desk for processing. 

Arresting officer 

completes arrest report 

providing necessary 

information for booking 

officer. 

Arresting officer 

notifies jail personnel 

of impending exit. 

Arresting officer 

retrieves weapon 

and exits sallyport 

upon release. 

Internal jail records 

are checked for 

previous incarceration. 

Booking officer 

completes jail record. 

Booking officer 

completes medical 

screening. 

Health care staff 

notified if required. 

Arresting officer 

completes property 

record/cash receipts 

before leaving. 

Booking officer 

completes all required 

booking paperwork. 

Booking officer 

takes photos 

and fingerprints. 

Booking officer 

facilitates 

OR release. 

Any special risks 

are taken into 

account. 

Contraband goes 

to arresting officer. 

Alcohol testing is 

done if required. 

Move property to 

property storage. 

Give arrestee 

copy of receipt. 

Booking officer explains 

bond process, informs 

arrestee of court date, 

and answers questions. 

Arrestee may 

use telephone. 

Arrestee likely to be 

released soon (bond 

or OR); remains in 

waiting area/holding cell. 

Booking officer 

makes initial 

housing assignment. 

OR = own recognizance
 

Source: Riley County Law Enforcement Center, Manhattan, KS.
 

21 
the county or city government may conduct a 

number of public meetings and hearings during 

this phase of the process to engage the public in 

identifying potential sites and establishing criteria for their review. 

sites that roughly meet the requirements are identified. After evaluating the alternatives using the 

established criteria, a site is finally selected and 

acquired. Exhibit 11 shows the roles that participants play in the site evaluation process. 

First, it is necessary to determine the site’s size, 

shape, access, and location requirements. Next, 

exhibit 10 

Functional Programming 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Develop operational principles 

and functional 

scenarios 

Advise Coordinate Advise Advise Advise, produce, 

approve 

Advise 

Develop staffing plan for new 

facility 

Approve Coordinate Advise Advise Advise, produce Advise 

Track Activity 

Develop construction/project 

costs and staffing operational 

costs for new 

facility 

Approve Coordinate Advise Advise Advise Advise 

Establish second 

cost checkpoint 

Approve Advise, coordinate, 

produce 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Produce functional program 

(can include 

space program) 

Be informed Coordinate, 

approve 

Advise Advise Advise, approve Advise 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

22 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exhibit 11 

Site Evaluation 

Track Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Determine basic 

site requirements (size, 

shape, location, 

etc.) and review 

criteria 

Approve Coordinate Advise, approve Advise Advise, approve Advise 

Advertise 

for site 

Advise, approve Coordinate Advise Advise Advise Be informed 

Evaluate sites Be informed Coordinate, advise Advise Advise Advise Advise 

* This exhibit shows phase 3 activities for the site track. Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all track activities. 

Options for Project Delivery 

During the facility program development phase, 

it is necessary to identify options for project delivery. Options to be considered might 

include the traditional design-bid-build method, 

the design-build method, and the construction 

manager method. Depending on the jurisdiction and/or state, some of these options may not 

be available for project delivery. It is important 

to consider all available project delivery methods before selecting an option. Each of them 

has benefits and risks that must be evaluated. 

Following are brief descriptions of several project delivery methods: 

•	 Design-bid-build method. This is the method 

most familiar to government agencies. Plans 

and specifications are completed and then 

advertised for bids from interested construction 

contracting firms. The firms will bid the project 

as it is designed, and the most qualified bidder 

with the lowest bid wins the award. A construction manager may be hired by the agency and 

would act as the owner’s representative on the 

project, thus providing an additional resource 

with technical expertise. The construction manager’s exact role and authority are determined 

by the agency. 

•	 Design-build method. The primary construction contractor and the architect/engineer are 

hired by the agency to deliver the project. A 

guaranteed maximum price is usually negotiated in the beginning based on design criteria 

developed by the agency. Frequently, the 

design criteria will include the needs assessment, functional and space programs, and conceptual or schematic drawings. The architect/ 

engineer/contractor team develops drawings 

based on the criteria and the guaranteed maximum price; once approved, the team proceeds 

to construct the building. 

23 
 

 

•	 Construction manager methods. Following 

are examples of methods that include expanded 

roles for construction managers (they frequently assume responsibility for all subcontractor 

coordination): 

•	 The construction manager at-risk method 

includes hiring the construction manager 

during the predesign phase; he/she will work 

with the architect/engineer team to develop 

and estimate the design. This method provides a guaranteed maximum price. The 

construction manager is responsible for 

receiving proposals from subcontractors and 

awarding their contracts. 

•	 The construction manager agency method 

requires the construction manager to be 

given all the authority of the hiring agency. 

In this option the construction manager 

assumes financial authority for the project. 

•	 The construction manager multiple-prime 

method requires the construction manager 

to divide the contracting work into distinct 

packages that are bid separately. Trades 

(types of labor), rather than project stages, 

are used to divide the bid packages. The 

construction manager oversees the multiple 

contracts and contractors. 

Phase 4: Project Definition 

and Implementation Plan 

In phase 4, participants are involved in the following tasks: 

•	 Evaluating	facility	options	(new	construction	

versus renovation/expansion). 

•	 Developing	a	conceptual	design	for	the	

facility. 

•	 Developing	a	cost-benefit	analysis	and	lifecycle costs. 

•	 Conducting	user	and	owner	reviews.	

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Monitoring the projected impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Involving the user team in the 

tasks and decisionmaking. 

•	 Site: Selecting and acquiring a site, refining 

site requirements, conducting a site analysis, 

and developing a preliminary site master plan. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: 

Determining the methods to finance the project 

and whether to use a public referendum for 

funding. 

•	 Project delivery method: Selecting a project 

delivery method. 

•	 Outcomes: Producing a conceptual design for 

the facility, a cost-benefit analysis, and a preliminary site master plan. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Hiring an 

architect to provide conceptual designs for the 

project. 

•	 Building support for the project: Involving 

the community advisory committee in the decisionmaking aspect of the project. 

The architect will develop conceptual design 

plans that begin to organize the entire building. 

The design study provides very basic outlines of 

the building and some internal areas, and shows 

area adjacencies. It also provides more detailed 

information about site needs that can be used to 

narrow down site options. 

A refinement of the site requirements will 

address issues such as open space, parking, site 

circulation, potential environmental impacts, 

access to utilities, and so forth. The data collected will be analyzed and will inform a preliminary 

draft of the site master plan. 

Using the information gathered and developed 

during the three previous phases, the project 

team (which includes the criminal justice planner, architect, and financial consultant) conducts 

a cost-benefit analysis and develops life-cycle 

costs. This information will provide the decisionJail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

24 
making group with an opportunity to determine 

how much financing will be required and to 

evaluate financing options. Depending on the 

jurisdiction’s requirements, it may be necessary 

to prepare a public referendum before proceeding. In some instances, a reduction in the scope 

of the project or a reevaluation of the operational 

decisions may be required if the life-cycle costs 

appear to be more than the jurisdiction can 

absorb. 

exhibit 12 

A project delivery method must be selected at 

the end of this phase. The decision must be made 

before the architect can proceed to the design 

phase. Depending on the delivery method selected, it may be necessary to contract with a construction manager or general contractor before 

beginning the next phase. Exhibit 12 shows the 

roles that participants play in the project definition and implementation plan. 

Project Definition and Implementation Plan 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Evaluate facility options (new 

construction 

vs. renovation/ 

expansion) 

Approve Coordinate, produce Advise Be informed Advise, produce, 

approve 

Be informed 

Develop conceptual design Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Track Activity 

Select and 

acquire site 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Advise 

Conduct site 

analysis 

Be informed, 

approve 

Coordinate, advise Advise Advise, be 

informed 

Advise, approve Be informed 

Determine Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

project finance 

methods 

Determine need Approve Coordinate Advise Advise, be Advise Be informed 

for public ref- informed 

erendum for 

funding 

Select project 

delivery method 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

25 
exhibit 13

Sample Site Master Plan

Although the site track may extend into design 

development before it is complete, the majority of the site track work occurs during project 

definition; generally, the final site master plan is 

completed during schematic design. A site evaluation must be completed early in the process so 

that extensive redesign will not be required if the 

site fails to qualify for any reason. 

Once the site has been selected, the project manager and consultants determine how the site will 

be used over the long term and create both a 

preliminary and a final site master plan. The site 

master plan specifies the building footprint, open 

spaces, parking, circulation routes, and security 

zones, as shown in the sample plan in exhibit 13. 

The plan must also accommodate the possible 

need for future expansion. Other factors, such as 

requirements for access to natural light and the 

location of recreation yards within individual 

housing units, also affect site master planning. 

exhibit 13 

Sample Site Master Plan 

Sanitary 

line to be 

rerouted 

Public 

parking 

(30 cars) 

Main Vehicular entry entry 

Option C.1 

Two courtyards 

Source: Ricci Associates 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Sallyport 

Handicap 

parking 

(4 cars) Storm sewer 

Water line 

Telephone 

Water line 

Electrical line 

Site characteristics, including soil and vegetation 

types, current uses of the site, elevation statistics, and environmental impacts, are appraised 

during this step in the process and the findings 

are reported in the preliminary site master plan. 

Exhibit 14 shows the roles that participants play 

in developing the site analysis and preliminary 

site master plan. 

Go/no-go decision point. At this point in the 

facility development process, those involved 

must evaluate whether the process can feasibly 

continue. 

Phase 5: Design 

Phase 5 includes the development of the schematic design, design, and construction documents. Because each of these tasks involves a 

series of discrete subtasks and the role of the 

teams will change during the process, each 

primary task and its associated tracks will be 

addressed separately. 

In phase 5 (schematic design development), 

participants are involved in the following tasks: 

•	 Developing	facility	floor	plans,	elevations,	

and sections. 

•	 Determining	engineering	requirements.

•	 Conducting	an	agency	code	review.

•	 Completing	user/owner	signoff	and	approval.

•	 Updating	the	new-facility	staffing	plan.

Schematic design development includes the 

following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Evaluating the 

impacts of nonfacility alternatives and criminal 

justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Identifying the transition team 

members. 

•	 Site: Finalizing the site master plan. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Establishing a third cost checkpoint for capital and 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

26 
operational funding; refining staffing and 


operational costs.
 

•	 Outcomes: Producing schematic design documents and a final site master plan. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: A project 

architect will be hired only if the architect who 

is hired to provide the conceptual design is not 

selected and/or is not allowed to participate at 

exhibit 14 

this stage of the facility development process 

because of bidding criteria.1 

The schematic design—the first and most critical 

task in the design phase—presents a general idea 

of how the facility will be organized. Spaces are 

defined in terms of size, shape, and relationship 

to other spaces. Preliminary engineering studies 

that typically include structural, mechanical, and 

electrical engineering analyses are conducted 

Site Analysis and Development of Preliminary Site Master Plan 

Track Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Establish open 

space requirements 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Establish parking 

requirements 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Advise 

Establish circulation requirements Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Develop security 

plan 

Approve Coordinate Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Conduct environmental impact 

studies 

Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Evaluate environmental variables 

and impacts 

Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Develop preliminary site master 

plan 

Approve Coordinate Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

* This exhibit shows phase 4 activities for the site track. Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all track activities. 

1 Some jurisdictions do not allow multistage contracts; if someone is hired to assist with one portion of the project, he/she may 

not be eligible to compete for the remainder of the project. 27 
exhibit 15

Sample Adjacency Diagram for Jail Receiving and Discharge Area

during schematic design. A sense of the facility and how it is organized begins to emerge. A 

schematic design often includes an adjacency 

diagram showing how a jail’s intake/release area 

will be organized (see the sample diagram in 

exhibit 15). 

Although facility managers should be involved 

throughout all design phases, during schematic 

design they must advise and direct the architects rather than simply react to or approve the 

architects’ suggestions. At this point, users first 

glimpse how the functioning jail will perform. 

Because operating expenses account for at least 

90 percent of total expenditures for a correctional 

facility during its life cycle, facility managers should pay particular attention to operating 

efficiency during schematic design. Exhibit 16 

shows the roles that participants play in developing the schematic design. 

exhibit 15 

Sample Adjacency Diagram for Jail Receiving and Discharge Area 

Exterior 

officer 

parking 

Vehicle sallyport 

Arresting 

officers’ 

workspace 

Shakedown and screening Temporary 

hold 

Release 

Booking 

Inmate 

Fingerprint and waiting area photograph area 

Inmate 

property 

room Housing 

area 

Release 

area 

Dress out 

and shower 

Holding 

Holding 

Holding 

Holding 

Holding 

Officers’ 

restroom 

Staff 

weapons 

Alcohol 

testing/ 

video 

recording 

Interview 

Interview 

Interview 

Interview 

Interview 

Bondsmen and 

interview room 

Janitor's closet 

and storage 

Janitor’s 

closet and 

storage 

Note: The diagram is based on information provided by the Riley County Law Enforcement Center, Manhattan, KS. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

28 
exhibit 16 

Schematic Design Development 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Develop 

facility floor 

plans, elevations, 

and sections 

Approve Coordinate Approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Determine engineering requirements 

Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Conduct agency 

code review 

Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Advise, be 

informed 

Be informed 

Track Activity 

Identify transition 

team members 

Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Establish third 

cost checkpoint 

Approve Advise, coordinate, 

produce 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Refine staffing 

and operational 

costs 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise, produce Be informed 

Finalize site 

master plan 

Approve Coordinate, advise Advise Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

In phase 5 (design development), participants are •	 Conducting	special	design	studies	for	security	

involved in the following tasks: and communications systems, kitchen and 

laundry equipment, graphics and signage, and 

•	 Developing	and	refining	the	architectural	 furniture. 

design. 

•	 Developing	outline	specifications.

•	 Developing	facility	design	details.

•	 Conducting	a	second	code	review.

•	 Selecting	finishes.

•	 Completing	a	second	user/owner	signoff	and	

•	 Developing	schedules. approval. 

29 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•	 Updating	the	new-facility	staffing	plan.

Design development includes the following 

activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Evaluating the 

impacts of nonfacility alternatives and criminal 

justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Developing a transition plan. 

•	 Site: Finalizing the site master plan (if not 

completed during schematic design). The user/ 

owner signs off and approves. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Establishing a fourth cost checkpoint for capital and 

operational funding; refining staffing and 

operational costs. 

•	 Outcomes: Producing design development 

documents. If not completed during schematic 

design, the site master plan is finalized at this 

point. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Hiring a 

construction manager (depending on the need 

and decisions made about project delivery). 

•	 Building support for the project: Keeping 

the community advisory committee informed. 

The design development phase produces detailed 

and sophisticated drawings of the building, 

including engineering features. The issues that 

are relevant for facility managers during schematic design are also relevant at this stage of the 

project. The design must continue to be evaluated 

in terms of its performance and cost. Therefore, 

it is critical for facility managers to remain 

actively involved during design development. 

A transition plan should be developed at this 

stage. It should include a description of all 

transition activities and tasks and the estimated 

time needed for completion. The plan must also 

specify the number of full-time staff required 

to complete the activities and tasks and include 

a timeline for bringing them onto the transition 

team. 

Because correctional facilities must meet the 

needs of individual cities or counties (each with 

complex and unique needs), special design studies in areas such as security, equipment, food service, or communications may be required. Such 

studies are not part of the basic architectural 

service but are generally contracted as additional 

services. Exhibit 17 shows the roles that participants play in design development. 

In phase 5 (construction documents), participants 

are involved in the following tasks: 

•	 Developing	construction	plans/drawings.

•	 Developing	construction	specifications.

•	 Developing	bid	documents.

•	 Establishing	regulatory	agency	approvals.

•	 Completing	a	third	user/owner	signoff	and	

approval. 

•	 Updating	the	new-facility	staffing	plan.

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Evaluating the 

impacts of nonfacility alternatives and criminal 

justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Bringing on transition team 

members. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Establishing a fifth cost checkpoint for capital and 

operational funding. 

• Outcomes: Producing construction documents. 

Construction documents specify what will be 

built and at what cost. They include the drawings (blueprints), specifications, and other highly 

technical documents that together form the 

basis for bids and the contract with the builder. 

Because these documents specify what will be 

built for the money budgeted, they must reflect 

exactly what the county or city wants and what 

the facility needs to operate effectively. A final 

cost estimate is done at this step. Exhibit 18 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

30 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exhibit 17 

Design Development 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Select systems 

and materials 

(finishes, etc.) 

Be informed Coordinate Advise, approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Conduct special 

design studies 

Be informed Coordinate Advise, approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Develop outline 

specifications 

Be informed Coordinate Approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Conduct second 

code review 

Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Track Activity 

Develop transition plan 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Produce, approve Be informed 

Produce design 

development 

documents 

Approve Coordinate Approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Refine staffing 

and operational 

costs 

Approve Coordinate Advise, approve Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

Establish fourth 

cost checkpoint 

Approve Advise, coordinate, 

produce 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

(page 32) shows the roles that participants play approvals. This step includes obtaining building 

in developing construction documents. permits and having representatives of regulatory 

agencies sign contract documents. The project 

Approvals must be obtained from various regula- manager is responsible for coordinating docutory agencies at the city, county, and state levels ment submission and ensuring that documents are 

to ensure that the project meets legal code require- approved or that steps are taken to make required 

ments. The architects usually prepare and submit changes so approval can be given. 

the documents for agency review and obtain the 

31 
exhibit 18 

Development of Construction Documents 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Develop complete set of construction plans/ 

drawings 

Approve Coordinate, 

approve 

Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Develop complete 

set of construction specifications 

Approve Coordinate, 

approve 

Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Develop bid 

documents 

Approve Coordinate, 

approve 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Develop final 

project cost 

estimate 

Approve Coordinate, 

approve 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Track Activity 

Bring on 

transition 

team members 

Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed Approve Be informed 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with developing construction plans/drawings, construction specifications, and bid documents. 

If not brought on earlier, transition team members should be brought on during this phase. 

Involving them early in the process ensures that 

they will become familiar with the scenarios 

developed during programming and with the 

plans and decisions that have been made. It also 

gives them time to complete the myriad tasks 

required of a transition team. 

A detailed cost estimate is developed when each 

of the three primary design tasks are completed. 

If the estimates are higher than expected, it will 

be necessary to determine if the additional cost 

can be absorbed in the budget. If it cannot be 

absorbed, it will be necessary to reevaluate the 

operational decisions that affect building size 

and explore alternative systems that may be less 

expensive. This process is called “value engineering” or “value analysis.” Usually, the project 

manager will carry out this process with the 

design team, members of the planning committee, and facility managers. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

32 
Phase 6: Bidding and 

Negotiations 

In phase 6, participants are involved in the 

following tasks: 

•	 Advertising	for	bids.

•	 Receiving	and	opening	bids.

•	 Selecting	the	qualified	bid	with	the	

lowest cost. 

•	 Conducting	contract	negotiations.

The bidding and negotiations phase includes 

the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Continuing to evaluate the impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Receiving 

the bid cost for the new facility. 

•	 Outcomes: Producing bid documents. 

Once agency approvals are obtained, contract 

documents are made available for bids. Bidding 

and negotiating are typically part of the architectural service, as stipulated in the standard 

American Institute of Architects contract. 

As noted earlier, in the typical procedure 

(design-bid-build) architects prepare one set of 

contract documents for bidding, multiple bids are 

received, a bid is selected, and a single contractor is hired. In a second procedure, architects 

prepare a number of bidding packages that cover 

various aspects of the project and each package is bid individually. In a third procedure (a 

variation of the second), the process is put on 

the fast track: Parts of the project are bid and 

constructed before other parts are even designed. 

Although the third option may sound attractive, 

this method is not preferred and is generally used 

only when there are crucial time constraints that 

do not allow for a more traditional method to be 

used. 

The process of bidding on construction of the 

correctional facility must comply with the jurisdiction’s procedures for sealed competitive bids. 

This process eventually produces a construction 

contract that is negotiated with the winning bidder. 

Exhibit 19 (page 34) shows the roles that participants play in the bidding and negotiations process. 

Go/no-go decision point. At this point in the 

facility development process, those involved 

must reassess whether the process can feasibly 

continue. If bids are higher than expected, it may 

be necessary to search for alternative or additional funding sources. It may also be necessary 

to step back and determine if design features or 

operational decisions can be adjusted to allow for 

reduced square footage, alternative systems that 

are less expensive, or other revisions. 

Phase 7: Construction 

In phase 7, participants are involved in the 

following tasks: 

•	 Overseeing	new	facility	construction,	which	

includes: 

•		Administering	the	construction	contract.

•		Reviewing	shop	drawings.

•		Conducting	materials	testing.

•		Making	field	observations.

•		Evaluating	and	processing	change	orders.

•	 Overseeing	construction	completion,	which	

includes: 

•	 Developing	the	facility	punch	list	and	ensuring that all items are addressed. 

•	 Conducting	performance	tests	on	the	

mechanical and electrical systems (also 

known as “commissioning”). 

•	 Receiving	user	manuals.

•	 Obtaining	warranties.

•	 Obtaining	occupancy	permits.

•	 Receiving	final	as-built	drawings.

33 
exhibit 19 

Bidding and Negotiations 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff, transition 

leader 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Advertise for bids Advise Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Receive and open 

bids 

Approve Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Select lowest 

cost qualified bid 

Approve Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Conduct contract 

negotiations 

Approve Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Track Activity 

Finalize bid 

documents 

Approve Coordinate, 

approve 

Advise Be informed Approve Be informed 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

Overseeing the new facility construction phase 

includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Continuing to evaluate the impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•		Transition: 

•	 Finalizing	the	staffing	plan	for	the	new	

facility. 

•	 Developing	documents	(including	policies	

and procedures, facility post orders, new 

facility schedules, and so forth). 

•	 Specifying	and	ordering	furniture,	fixtures,	

equipment (FF&E) and supplies. 

•	 Drafting	a	logistics	plan	for	moving	to	the	

new facility, a process commonly known as 

“move logistics.” 

•	 Recruiting,	selecting,	and	hiring	staff.

•	 Developing	training	plans	(staff	training	

schedule, and so forth). 

•	 Monitoring	construction.

•	 Capital and operational funding: Monitoring 

change orders. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

34 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•	 Outcomes: Developing and producing policies 

and procedures for the new facility, finalizing 

the staffing plan, writing training/lesson plans, 

and developing a draft of the move logistics 

plan. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Selecting a 

construction team to build the new facility. 

•	 Building support for the project: Keeping 

the community advisory committee informed. 

Overseeing the construction completion phase 

includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Continuing to evaluate the impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: 

•	 Conducting	training	sessions.

•	 Installing	FF&E.

•	 Finalizing	the	move	logistics	plan.

•	 Conducting	shakedowns.

•	 Conducting	public	events.

•	 Assisting	with	commissioning.	

•	 Capital and operational funding: Monitoring 

change orders. 

•	 Outcomes: Developing and producing policies 

and procedures for the new facility, finalizing 

the staffing plan, writing training/lesson plans, 

and producing the move logistics plan. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Selecting a 

construction team to build the new facility. 

•	 Building support for the project: Keeping 

the community advisory committee informed. 

Typically, construction begins after 28 months 

of planning, programming, and design. During 

this phase, the architects and/or project manager administer the construction contract. They 

visit the site regularly, check the progress of the 

work, and interact with the contractor to ensure 

that construction is carried out in accordance 

with project specifications. Counties and cities typically have an agent who is assigned to 

carry out similar responsibilities. Sometimes, the 

jurisdiction allows an employee to spend part of 

his/her time in this role; in other situations, the 

project manager fulfills this role. In any case, this 

individual must work collaboratively (not competitively) with the architects and the contractor. 

The county should identify a single point of contact for transmitting information to the architect 

and the contractor during the construction phase. 

At this point, the transition team will also spend 

time onsite to oversee construction and evaluate 

their operational scenarios as they develop policies and procedures for the new jail. 

Exhibit 20 (page 36) shows the roles that participants play in overseeing new facility construction. At this stage, the transition leader 

moves from the facility managers category to 

the project manager category and now assumes 

a more active role in managing the project from 

a user perspective. The facility manager group 

role becomes less active and operates more as 

an advisory group, with fewer decisionmaking 

responsibilities. 

Once construction is completed, the architects, contractor, and project manager develop a punch 

list (a list of items to be completed or repaired). 

Performance tests (commissioning) are conducted 

on mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and other 

systems. The transition team members should 

participate in the punch list and commissioning 

process. Warranties and guarantees are acquired 

for all installed equipment and furnishings along 

with technical user manuals for equipment and for 

the facility as a whole. Most important, the coun­

ty obtains as-built drawings that reflect how the 

facility was actually constructed (rather than the 

way it was represented on the original drawings). 

Exhibit 21 (page 37) shows the roles that participants play in overseeing construction completion. 

35 
exhibit 20 

Oversight of New Facility Construction 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Administer 

contract 

Approve Approve Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Review shop 

drawings 

Be informed Approve Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Conduct materials testing 

Be informed Approve Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Make field 

observations 

Approve Approve, advise Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Evaluate and 

process change 

orders 

Approve Advise Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Track Activity 

Select construction team Approve Advise, coordinate, approve Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

*Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

Preparing staff for moving to the new facility 

is the most important operational activity that 

takes place during construction completion. Staff 

receive training in the operations of the new 

facility. This is also an opportunity to test the 

operational decisions that have been made and 

formalized in policies and procedures, and to 

make adjustments as needed before occupancy. 

A transition team finalizes move logistics and 

addresses issues related to staff training, equipment testing, identifying and removing contraband, transferring inmates, and beginning operations in the new building. Exhibit 22 (page 38) 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

shows the roles that participants play in transition 

during both the construction oversight and construction completion components of phase 7. 

Phase 8: Occupancy and 

Operation 

In phase 8, participants are involved in the following tasks related to occupancy: 

•	 Preparing	the	facility	for	staff	and	inmates,	

and preparing staff and inmates for the facility 

(searching/cleaning the building, training staff 

in building operations, and so forth). 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

36 
exhibit 21 

Oversight of Construction Completion 

Task* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Develop punch 

list and ensure 

that all items are 

addressed 

Be informed Coordinate, advise, 

approve 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Complete 

commissioning 

(performance 

tests on mechanical/electrical 

systems) 

Be informed Coordinate, advise, 

approve 

Be informed Be informed Advise Be informed 

Receive user 

manuals 

Be informed Approve Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Obtain occupancy permits Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Receive as-built 

drawings 

Approve Approve Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

Obtain warranties Be informed Approve Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

* This exhibit shows tasks associated with overseeing construction completion in phase 7 of the facility development process. Track activities associated with construction completion are generally related 

to transition. Transition track activities during the construction phase are summarized in exhibit 22. Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all 

tasks/track activities. 

•	 Developing	a	preventive	maintenance	program.

•	 Moving	staff	to	the	new	facility.

•	 Moving	inmates	to	the	new	facility.

•	 Operating	the	new	facility.

The occupancy phase includes the following 

activity tracks: 

• Nonfacility alternatives: Continuing to evaluate the impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Conducting an operational evaluation of the facility and fine-tuning policies and 

procedures. 

•	 Capital and operational funding: Monitoring 

the operational budget. 

•	 Building support for the project: 

Maintaining community relations. 

Near the end of the project, there may be 

significant political pressure and/or pressure 

from the community to open the new facility. 

Nevertheless, the operating agency must make 

37 
exhibit 22 

Transition Activities: Construction 

Track Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Finalize staffing plan (hiring 

schedule, etc.) 

Approve Coordinate, produce (TL), approve 

(TL) 

Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Develop P&P 

manuals 

Be informed Coordinate, produce (TL) 

Approve Be informed Approve Advise 

Develop facility 

post orders 

Be informed Coordinate, produce (TL) Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Recruit, select, 

hire staff 

Be informed Coordinate, advise 

(TL) 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Develop 

training plans 

(lesson plans, 

schedules, etc.) 

Be informed Coordinate, 

approve (TL) 

Advise Be informed Advise Advise 

Conduct staff 

training 

Be informed Coordinate, produce (TL) 

Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Install FF&E Be informed Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Finalize move 

logistics 

Approve Coordinate Approve Be informed Approve Advise 

Conduct public 

events 

Advise Coordinate Advise Advise Advise Advise 

FF&E = furniture, fixtures, and equipment; P&P = policies and procedures; TL = transition leader 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all track activities. 

the decision about when to move into the new 

jail. It is important to realize that although construction has been completed, the facility may 

not be ready for occupancy. 

The contractor may declare that substantial 

completion has been reached, once everything 

required in the contract documents has been 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

completed. However, punch-list items critical to 

the safe operation of the new jail may still need 

to be addressed (e.g., the sallyport doors for a 

housing unit may need to be adjusted so they can 

be electronically opened from a control screen). 

In addition, the building must be thoroughly 

searched and cleaned before inmates can move 

in. Without exception, there will be items of 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

38 
construction debris in the building that could be 

fashioned into weapons. 

Another consideration is that staff must learn 

how the new building operates, including 

its sophisticated electronic security systems. 

Because of the enormous amount of time, effort, 

and money spent to make the new jail a reality, 

initiating a preventive maintenance program to 

ensure that the facility is maintained and repaired 

regularly is a wise investment. 

Searching and cleaning the building, training 

staff in building operations, and establishing 

a preventive maintenance program generally 

take place for at least 2 months after substantial 

completion has been achieved. Public relations 

activities also are conducted at this time. Exhibit 

23 shows the roles that participants play in the 

occupancy and operation phase. 

Phase 9: Postoccupancy 

In phase 9, participants are involved in the 

following tasks: 

•	 Completing	facility	operational	checklists.

•	 Fine-tuning	the	facility	and	the	policies	and	

procedures. 

•	 Conducting	a	postoccupancy	evaluation.

This phase includes the following activity tracks: 

•	 Nonfacility alternatives: Continuing to evaluate the impacts of nonfacility alternatives and 

criminal justice system changes. 

•	 Transition: Closing out the transition team’s 

function. 

•	 Outcomes: Producing a postoccupancy evaluation report. 

•	 Professional services acquisition: Selecting 

professional services for facility evaluation. 

•	 Building support for the project: Maintaining 

community relations. 

As mentioned earlier, staff and inmates move 

into new correctional facilities an average of 

50 months after the needs assessment begins. 

Facility managers must continuously monitor 

the criminal justice master plan and evaluate 

facility operations against this plan to ensure 

that the facility is used properly. Jails can reach 

capacity or become overcrowded quickly unless 

they are monitored continuously. Any policy 

departures from the original plans must not result 

in overcrowding of the new facility. The justice 

system should not automatically assume that 

available beds in the facility mean that sentencing practices should be altered or alternative 

sentencing programs abandoned. 

This is the time to assess the facility’s efficiency 

and effectiveness. There is usually a discrepancy 

between the desired, and actual, operation of the 

facility. Unforeseen circumstances usually arise 

that lead to adjustments in facility operation. The 

integrity of the jail and its operations will be protected when participants take the time to update 

policies and procedures and address changes 

through staff training. 

Eventually, the facility will begin to age, and 

conflicts often arise between the desired operations and goals and the building’s actual performance. In this phase, it is important to reassess 

the building’s potential and its anticipated longevity. Although the building will become obsolete in the future, incorporating flexibility into 

the design will help minimize future problems. 

Exhibit 24 (page 41) shows the roles that participants play in the postoccupancy phase. 

39 
exhibit 23 

Occupancy and Operation 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Conduct an in- Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed Be informed 

depth search of 

the facility 

Clean the facility Be informed Coordinate Be informed Be informed Advise Be informed 

Make decision Advise, be Coordinate, Advise, be Be informed Advise, approve Be informed 

to move into the informed approve informed 

new facility 

Develop preven- Be informed Coordinate Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

tive maintenance 

program 

Move staff to 

new facility 

Be informed Approve Advise Be informed Advise Be informed 

Move inmates to 

new facility 

Be informed Coordinate, 

approve (TL) 

Approve Be informed Approve Advise 

Operate new 

facility 

Approve Approve Approve Be informed Approve Be informed 

Track Activity 

Maintain community relations 

Be informed Coordinate Coordinate Coordinate Be informed Be informed 

TL = transition leader 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

40 
exhibit 24 

Postoccupancy 

Task/Track 

Activity* 

Elected and 

Appointed 

Officials 

County commissioners, supervisors, legislators, 

freeholders, 

administrator, city/ 

county manager 

Project 

Manager 

Correctional staff, 

engineer, city 

planner, county 

architect, criminal 

justice planner, 

transition leader 

Planning 

Committee 

Fiscal agents, 

facility owners/ 

users, representatives of justice 

agencies, project 

manager 

Community 

Advisory 

Committee 

Victim advocate, 

business leaders, 

clergy, educators, 

elected officials 

Facility 

Managers 

Sheriff, jail administrator, warden, 

director of corrections, correctional 

staff 

Representatives of 

Justice Agencies 

Court personnel; 

prosecutor; defense 

attorney; probation, 

parole, and pretrial 

services staff 

Task 

Complete 

facility operational checklists 

Be informed Coordinate, advise Advise Be informed Advise Advise 

Fine-tune facility 

and P&P 

Not involved Coordinate, 

approve (TL and 

correctional staff 

only) 

Not involved Not involved Advise, approve Not involved 

Conduct postoccupancy 

evaluation 

Advise, approve Coordinate, advise Advise Be informed Advise Advise 

Track Activity 

Select professional to evaluate 

facility 

Approve Advise, coordinate, 

approve 

Advise, coordinate, 

approve 

Be informed Advise, coordinate, 

approve 

Be informed 

Receive postoccupancy report 

Be informed Coordinate Coordinate Be informed Be informed Be informed 

P&P = policies and procedures; TL = transition leader 

* Architects, criminal justice planners, technical advisers, and other consultants may assist with any and all tasks/track activities. 

41 

Conclusion 


The process of planning and building involved in the process has a role to play, 

a new jail requires participation from and how they carry out those roles will 

many players, both inside and outside the significantly affect all aspects of the projgovernment and justice system structure. ect. The success of the planning, construcA jail that does not meet standards or is tion, and occupancy phases of a new jail 

crowded is not only the sheriff’s problem; project hinges on each group addressed in 

it affects all participants who contribute this document and how they carry out their 

to the planning process. Every individual roles in the process. 

43 

Resources 

A variety of resources are available on 

the subject of new jail planning. Some 

address the planning and construction 

process, some address transition issues, 

and others address justice systems and 

agencies and how they impact jails. The 

documents listed below are all available 

from the National Institute of Corrections 

Information Center (800–877–1461; 

asknicic@nicic.gov). They also can be 

downloaded or ordered from the NIC 

website, www.nicic.gov. 

Bowker, G.M. 2002. Jail Resource 

Issues: What Every Funding Authority 

Needs to Know. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National Institute 

of Corrections. NIC Accession Number 

017372. 

Bureau of Justice Assistance. 2000. A 

Second Look at Alleviating Jail Crowding: 

A Systems Perspective. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 

Justice Programs. NIC Accession Number 

016543. 

California Board of Corrections. 1999. 

“Corrections Planning Handbooks: Guides 

for California’s Counties in Planning 

Adult and Juvenile Detention Facilities.” 

In Jail Crowding and Planning Resource 

Documents. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National Institute 

of Corrections. NIC Accession Number 

020648. 

Cunniff, M.A. 2002. “Jail Crowding: 

Understanding Jail Population Dynamics.” 

In Jail Crowding and Planning Resource 

Documents. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National Institute 

of Corrections. NIC Accession Number 

020648. 

Cushman, R.C. 2002. Guidelines 

for Developing a Criminal Justice 

Coordinating Committee. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National 

Institute of Corrections. NIC Accession 

Number 017232. 

Cushman, R.C. 2002. Preventing Jail 

Crowding: A Practical Guide, 2d ed. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Justice, National Institute of Corrections. 

NIC Accession Number 016720. 

Elias, G. 2006. Building Community 

Support for New Jail Construction. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

45 
Justice, National Institute of Corrections. NIC 

Accession Number 021328. 

Elias, G. 2007. Facility Planning To Meet the 

Needs of Female Inmates. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections. NIC Accession Number 022247. 

Elias, G. 2007. How To Collect and Analyze 

Data: A Manual for Sheriffs and Jail 

Administrators, 3d ed. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections. NIC Accession Number 021826. 

Goldman, M. 2003. Jail Design Review 

Handbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Justice, National Institute of Corrections. NIC 

Accession Number 018443. 

Kimme, D.A. 1998. Jail Design Guide: A 

Resource for Small and Medium-Sized Jails. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 

National Institute of Corrections. NIC Accession 

Number 015061. 

Liebert, D.R., and R. Miller. 2001. Staffing 

Analysis Workbook for Jails, 2d ed. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National 

Institute of Corrections. NIC Accession Number 

016827. 

McGarry, P., and M.M. Carter, eds. 1993. The 

Intermediate Sanctions Handbook: Experiences 

and Tools for Policymakers. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections. NIC Accession Number 000213. 

National Institute of Corrections. 2006. “Beyond 

the Myths: Jails in America.” Video presentation 

on CD-ROM. In Jail Crowding and Planning 

Resource Documents. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice. NIC Accession Number 

020648. 

Ricci, K. 2004. Jail Site Evaluation & Selection, 

2d ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Justice, National Institute of Corrections. NIC 

Accession Number 020647. 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

46 

appendix 

Facility Development Process Flowchart 

Facility Development 

Process Phases 

Project 1. Recognition

Needs 2. Assessment

Facility 

Program 

Development 3.

Project 

Definition and 

Implementation 

Plan 

4.

Recognize 

problem 

Develop 

policy group 

Evaluate facility 

options: new 

construction vs. 

renovation/expansion 

Evaluate existing 

facility for standards 

compliance 

Develop conceptual 

design 

Tasks 

Nonfacility 

Alternatives 

Develop project 

organizational 

structure 

Identify resources: 

data, persons, IT 

Identify agency 

taking the lead 

Evaluate current CJ 

system and policies 

Review applicable 

standards/legal 

requirements 

Monitor projected 

impacts of 

nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ 

system changes 

Monitor projected 

impacts of 

nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ 

system changes 

Develop cost-benefit 

analysis, life 

cycle costs 

Conduct user and 

owner reviews 

Transition

Appoint transition 

team leader; 

involved in all 

parts of project 

Involve user team Involve user team 

Evaluate existing 

alternative 

programs 

Develop system 

mission and goals 

Evaluate 

staffing levels 

(current vs. required) 

Site 

Determine basic 

site requirements 

Advertise 

Evaluate potential 

sites 

Select/acquire 

site 

Refine site 

requirements 

Conduct site 

analysis 

Develop preliminary 

site master plan 

Gather site 

information 

Identify financial 

considerations 

Professional 

Services 

Acquisition 

Evaluate need 

for consultant 

(CJ planner or 

architectural firm 

with CJ planner) 

Hire CJ planner or 

architectural firm 

with CJ planner 

(if necessary and not 

already done) 

Develop 

budget model Develop first cost 

checkpoint 

Establish 

second cost 

checkpoint 

Develop construction/ 

project costs 

and staffing/ 

operational costs 

Project Delivery 

Method 

Outcomes 

Identify project 

delivery options 

Select project 

delivery method 

Needs 

assessment report Facility program 

(functional and 

space programs) 

Conceptual design, 

cost-benefit analysis, 

preliminary site 

master plan 

Building Support 

for the Project 

Form community 

advisory committee 

Involve community 

advisory committee 

Involve community 

advisory committee 

Identify options 

CJ system changes (policies and practices) 

New construction vs. renovation/expansion 

New nonfacility alternative programs 

Develop functional 

program 

Develop operational 

principles and 

functional scenarios 

Review applicable 

standards 

Develop staffing plan 

for new facility 

Develop space 

program 

Identify square 

footage needs 

Develop adjacency 

diagrams 

Analyze design 

criteria 

GO/ 

NO GO 

GO/ 

NO GO 

Facility Development 

Process Tracks 

Capital and 

Operational 

Funding 

Hire architect 

for 

conceptual design 

Determine project 

finance methods and 

need for public 

referendum 

CJ = criminal justice; FF&E = furniture, fixtures, and equipment; IT = information technology; P&P = policies and procedures.
 

Note: Facility Development Process Fowchart developed by Dennis Liebert, Gail Elias, and James Robertson for the National Institute of Corrections.
 

Jail Planning and Expansion 

Local Officials and Their Roles 

48 
Construction 7. Bidding and 6. Negotiations

Occupancy 8. and Operation

Post­ 9. occupancy Design 5.

Evaluate impacts of nonfacility alternatives and CJ system changes 

Continue to evaluate 

impacts of 

nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ 

system changes 

Continue to evaluate impacts of nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ system changes 

Continue to evaluate 

impacts of nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ 

system changes 

Continue to evaluate 

impacts of nonfacility 

alternatives, CJ 

system changes 

Identify transition

 team members 

Develop transition 

plan 

Bring on transition 

team members 

Conduct operational 

evaluation 

Fine-tune P&P 

Closeout of 

transition 

team’s function 

Finalize staffing plan 

(hiring schedule, etc.) 

Develop documents 

(P&P, facility post 

orders, etc.) 

Specify and order 

FF&E 

Draft move logistics 

plan 

Recruit, select, 

hire staff 

Develop training 

plans (lesson plans, 

schedules, etc.) 

Monitor construction 

Conduct training 

Install FF&E 

Finalize move 

logistics 

Conduct 

shakedowns 

Conduct public 

events 

Assist with 

commissioning 

(performance tests) 

Hire construction 

manager (if needed) Select construction team Select professional to evaluate facility 

Establish 

third cost 

checkpoint 

Monitor change orders Monitor 

operational budget 

Schematic design 

documents; final 

site master plan 

Design development 

documents 

Construction 

documents Bid documents Postoccupancy 

evaluation report 

Inform community 

advisory committee Inform community advisory committee Maintain community relations 

Maintain community 

relations 

Develop schematic 

design 

Complete bidding 

tasks 

Design development 

documents 

Develop construction 

documents 

Develop floor plans, 

elevations, sections 

Determine engineering requirements 

Conduct agency 

code review 

User/owner signoff 

and approval 

Update new-facility 

staffing plan 

Develop and refine 

architectural design 

Develop facility 

design details 

Select finishes 

Develop schedules 

Conduct special 

design studies 

Develop outline 

specifications 

Conduct second 

code review 

User/owner 

signoff 

and approval 

Update new-facility 

staffing plan 

Develop 

construction 

plans/drawings 

Develop 

construction 

specifications 

Develop bid 

documents 

Establish regulatory 

agency approvals 

User/owner 

signoff 

and approval 

Update new-facility 

staffing plan 

Advertise for bids 

Receive and 

open bids 

Select lowest-cost 

qualified bid 

Conduct contract 

negotiations 

Oversee new 

facility construction 

Oversee 

construction 

completion 

Complete 

postoccupancy 

tasks 

Administer 

construction 

contract 

Review shop 

drawings 

Conduct materials 

testing 

Make field 

observations 

Evaluate and 

process 

change orders 

Develop punch list 

and ensure that 

all items are 

addressed 

Complete 

commissioning 

(performance tests) 

Receive user 

manuals 

Obtain warranties 

Obtain occupancy 

permits 

Receive as-built 

drawings 

Complete facility 

operational 

checklists 

Fine-tune facility 

and P&P 

Conduct 

postoccupancy 

evaluation 

Establish 

fourth cost 

checkpoint 

Establish 

fifth cost 

checkpoint 

Receive 

bid cost 

Hire project architect 

(may or may not 

be same architect 

who provided 

conceptual design) 

GO/ 

NO GO 

Finalize site 

master plan 

Complete 

occupancy 

tasks 

Conduct indepth 

search of facility 

Clean facility 

Develop preventive 

maintenance 

program 

Move staff to 

new facility 

Move inmates to 

new facility 

Operate new facility 

P&P, staffing 

plan, training/ 

lesson plans, and 

move logistics plan 

49 


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