15.1 

CAPITAL SECURITY PROGRAM
15.2

JUDICIARY CAPITAL SECURITY PROGRAM

This chapter presents the judiciary’s requirements and priorities for the Capital Security Program (CSP), which is funded as a Special 

Emphasis Program within the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Buildings Fund. The CSP provides funding to 

address serious security deficiencies in existing courthouse buildings where physical renovations are viable in lieu of constructing a 

new courthouse. The authority necessary to make renovations of this scope falls under the jurisdiction of GSA. 

The judiciary requests $35.9 million in CSP funding in fiscal year (FY) 2023 for its two highest priorities: Augusta, Georgia, and Fort 

Wayne, Indiana. Actual projects funded, and the amounts associated with them, may change depending on the final amount 

appropriated for the CSP and the most recent project cost estimates available at the time of appropriation. If funding is limited or 

costs change, requested projects that cannot be accommodated within the available appropriation will be reduced in scope or deferred 

to the following fiscal year. 

1. U.S. Courthouse, Augusta, Georgia (construction only). $18.7 million. The U.S. Courthouse in Augusta was constructed

in 1916 and expanded in 1930. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 28,321 useable square feet, threestory plus basement structure houses two courtrooms, one hearing room, and three chambers. Its Asset Management Planning

(AMP) process Facility Benefit Assessment (FBA) Security score is 26.41

. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will be

addressed by replacing an existing open air carport with an enclosed U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) sally port and separate

judges’ parking area, enlarging and reconfiguring the existing security screening queuing area, providing a dedicated judges’

elevator and a dedicated prisoner elevator, reconfiguring the first floor to provide secure and restricted circulation paths for

prisoners and judges, and constructing a new prisoner movement circulation corridor over the first-floor roof to provide secure

circulation on the second floor. This project was requested in FYs 2019 through 2022, but no program funding was provided.

This project received $2 million for design in FY 2021 from the cancelled Raleigh, NC, CSP project 2.

2. Ross Adair Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Fort Wayne, Indiana (construction only). $17.2 million. This

location was approved for a CSP study in June 2016 and currently has an AMP process FBA Security Score of 29.9. The

study was completed in Fall 2018 and approved by the district and circuit courts. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will

be addressed by adding a new judges’ parking garage, new USMS sally port and secured parking for USMS staff, two new

1 An FBA Security score of 100 represents an “ideal courthouse” and a score below 60 represents a “poor courthouse.” 2 Summary and description of Raleigh, NC project noted on page 15.10.
15.3

prisoner elevators, a new security screening station, new fire egress stairs, a new jury room, and a new holding cell. Also, two 

dedicated judges’ elevators will be provided (one is repurposed from an existing shared elevator and the other is a new elevator 

that will provide restricted circulation to the second floor, including courtrooms). This project received $2 million for design 

in FY 2021 from the cancelled Raleigh, NC project. 

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES FOR FY 2023 

Funding Challenges in Existing Projects

As noted below (see pg 15.7), the CSP project in Alexandria, Louisiana, received $9 million for construction in FY 2017. An 

additional $1.0 million was reallocated from funds originally intended for a CSP project in Paducah, Kentucky. However, GSA has 

since identified a funding shortfall for the Alexandria project as it expects construction to cost approximately $18.5 million. This is 

because the initial estimates for Alexandria did not take into account the complexities of renovating within an existing historic 

structure and phasing requirements. Furthermore St. Thomas, VI and Texarkana, TX/AK, currently under construction are also

experiencing shortfalls due to labor shortages and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, GSA is evaluating 

all potential options to resolve identified funding shortfalls. Once more information is available, the judiciary will update 

congressional staff on a proposed funding solution. This solution may include seeking additional funding for the CSP program in FY 

2023 and/or reallocating existing project funding. 

Future Approved Capital Security Projects 

The judiciary studies and approves projects on a rolling basis for participation in the CSP. The following future projects will be next 

in line to receive funding: 

1. Federal Building, Post Office, and U.S Courthouse, Burlington, Vermont. $21.7 million. The Burlington CSP study was

completed in April 2020 and approved as a CSP project in June 2020. The courthouse currently has an AMP process FBA

Security Score of 35.4. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will be addressed by adding a secure judges’ parking garage, a

new dedicated judges’ restricted elevator, new restricted circulation paths from the judges’ elevator to chambers and

courtrooms, a new security screening station at the loading dock, a new fire egress stair, a new jury room, and a new holding

cell.
15.4

2. William M. Colmer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. $20.4 million. The Hattiesburg

CSP study was completed in October 2020 and approved as a CSP project in December 2020. This location has an AMP

process FBA Security Score of 37.7. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will be addressed by adding a new secure judges’

parking garage; a refurbished dedicated judges’ elevator; new restricted circulation paths from the judges’ elevator to chambers

and courtrooms; a USMS vehicle sallyport; dedicated prisoner elevator; two new courtroom holding cells; and a new fire

egress stair tower.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The CSP was endorsed by the Judicial Conference of the United States in September 2010 to assist the courts at locations that have 

significant security deficiencies but may not qualify for a new courthouse building that would, among other things, address their

security needs. The purpose of the CSP is to improve physical security in buildings occupied by the judiciary. Program goals include: 

• Utilizing existing building assets and federal resources cost-effectively.

• Addressing security deficiencies which place the public, prisoners, judges, and federal employees at risk; and

• Providing a low-cost alternative to high-cost capital improvements.

The CSP was first funded in FY 2012 when Congress designated $20 million within GSA’s Federal Buildings Fund to address 

security deficiencies in federal courthouses using mechanisms such as constructing additional secure corridors; adding or 

reconfiguring elevators; constructing USMS sally ports; creating visual barriers; and reconfiguring security screening areas. Project 

prioritization, selection, and implementation are handled collaboratively by stakeholders from the courts, the USMS, and GSA. This 

valuable program has resulted in greater security at federal courthouses in the selected locations at a fraction of the cost of new 

courthouse construction. Funding for the CSP is summarized in the table below. 
15.5

Fiscal Year Funding

FY 2012 $20 million

FY 2013 $20 million

FY 2014 $0

FY 2015 $20 million

FY 2016 $20 million

FY 2017 $26.7 million

FY 2018 $20 million

 FY 2019* $0

FY 2020 $0

FY 2021 $0

FY 2022 TBD

*GSA reallocated $2.2 million from its FY 2019 Repairs and Alterations (R&A) funding to cover unexpected costs in two existing

CSP projects: $1.8 million for Fort Worth, TX and $0.4 million for St. Thomas, VI.

Renovation projects that enhance security are selected for the program through an objective and collaborative review process that 

includes stakeholder representatives from local courts and their circuit judicial councils, the USMS, GSA, Federal Protective Service 

(FPS), the Judicial Conference’s Space and Facilities Committee in consultation with the Judicial Conference’s Judicial Security 

Committee, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO). The following steps outline the process: 

1. Preliminary List. Development of a preliminary list of potential CSP projects begins with data collected through the

judiciary’s AMP3 process that identifies courthouses with poor security ratings. These data are then compared with risk

assessment data collected independently by the USMS and with GSA data on government facilities that need physical

improvement. A preliminary list of potential projects is then compiled based on these sources of data.

3 Under the AMP process, each district and circuit adopt a long-range facilities plan that includes an evaluation of each courthouse location for urgency of space 

needs. As part of the process, facility benefit assessments are conducted on each courthouse to determine how well the existing facility supports the needs and 

operations of the court. An urgency evaluation list is then developed each year, placing each courthouse location in rank order. This rank is used to determine 

the urgency of space needs. The AMP process was adopted by the Judicial Conference in 2008.
15.6

2. In-Depth Analysis and Resulting Short List. Each project on the preliminary list is then reviewed and validated during a

more in-depth analysis conducted by stakeholder representatives of local courts and their circuit judicial councils, the USMS,

GSA, FPS, and the AO. This review looks at specific security deficiencies at each courthouse and identifies potential

conceptual solutions. Potential projects are then evaluated against a list of factors to determine the relative priority of the

potential projects. Factors may include whether there is a separate circulation pattern for judges, prisoner movement, and the

public; the number of resident judges; the type of caseload and proceedings; other repair and alteration projects planned;

USMS risk assessment and incident reports; and the presence of high-risk prisoners regularly in the courthouse.

3. Space and Facilities Committee Review and Validation. The Space and Facilities Committee reviews and, in consultation

with the Judicial Security Committee, approves the specific courthouse locations to move on to the next step in the project

selection process – completion of a capital security study.

4. Capital Security Study and Final Recommendations. Using judiciary funding, the AO contracts with an architect-engineering

firm to conduct a capital security study for each court location approved by the Space and Facilities Committee. Each study

reviews the security issues specific to that court location, identifies potential solutions, and documents the three best options

with corresponding budget estimates. The study also identifies other projects that are already planned or underway by the

USMS, GSA, or the judiciary to ensure design solutions are fully coordinated.

The Space and Facilities Committee’s Subcommittees on Space Planning and Rent Management then review the options and

budgets for each project location, including rent impacts, if applicable, and recommend a final list of projects to the Space and

Facilities Committee. The Space and Facilities Committee then reviews the recommendations and approves the locations to

proceed with a CSP project.

5. Notification to GSA. GSA is advised of the result of the Space and Facilities Committee’s review of the final list of projects.

If the list of projects exceeds the congressional budget limitation for that fiscal year, projects are moved to the next fiscal year

while keeping their rank order.
15.7

STATUS OF CSP PROJECTS:

FY 2022 CSP. FY 2022 bill is pending.

FY 2021 CSP. Congress did not provide funding for CSP in FY 2021. However, in FY 2021, the Levin project received full funding 

through the reallocation of $9 million originally provided in FY 2016 for a CSP project in Raleigh, NC, that was subsequently 

cancelled.

1. Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse, Detroit, Michigan. $9.0 million (funded with $9 million reallocated from

cancelled Raleigh CSP Project (see pg. 15.10). The Levin Courthouse was constructed in 1934 and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places. The 402,935 usable square feet, ten-story plus basement structure houses 13

courtrooms and 13 chambers. Its Asset Management Planning (AMP) process Facilities Benefits Assessment (FBA)

Security score is 17.0 on a scale of 1 to 100. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will be partially addressed by

constructing an enclosed USMS sally port; providing new screening stations and queuing areas at both public and staff

lobbies; providing courtroom holding cells on two floors; and adding two new prisoner elevators to improve prisoner

movement.

FY 2020 CSP. Congress did not provide funding for CSP in FY 2020. 

FY 2019 CSP. Congress did not provide funding for CSP in FY 2019. As noted above, however, GSA reallocated $2.2 

million from its FY 2019 R&A funding to cover unexpected costs for two existing CSP projects: $1.8 million for Fort Worth, 

TX and $0.4 million for St. Thomas, VI. 

FY 2018 CSP.

1. Hato Rey Complex, Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse and Federico Degetau Federal Building, San Juan, Puerto

Rico (Phase 2). $20 million. The Hato Rey complex, which includes the Degetau Federal Office Building and Ruiz Nazario

U.S. Courthouse, serves as the headquarters for the District Court in the District of Puerto Rico. A CSP project study

completed in 2016 evaluated existing conditions of both buildings and proposed a preferred concept solution to address

additional deficiencies of each structure. The recommendation for the Ruiz Nazario Courthouse involves construction of a

new USMS sallyport and required secure corridors to the Nazario Courthouse, a stairwell and new prisoner elevator to USMS
15.8

main detention cellblock in the Degetau Federal Building and three new holding cells in the basement of the Nazario 

Courthouse. A new courthouse annex project is currently listed as a judicial space emergency on the Federal Judiciary 

Courthouse Project Priorities list and the design for this CSP project has been integrated into the scope of the new annex 

project. Funding for a Phase 2 CSP project was appropriated and authorized by Congress in June 2019. The design is 

complete, and project is in the construction procurement phase. Construction award is anticipated March 2022. 

FY 2017 CSP. 

1. U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Alexandria, Louisiana (construction only). $10 million. Security deficiencies at

this courthouse will be addressed by constructing restricted judges’ parking, a judges’ elevator, and reconfigured

corridors to facilitate restricted circulation for all judges. The USMS will have new space that includes an enclosed

sally port, holding cells, a prisoner elevator, and reconfigured corridors to facilitate secure prisoner transport. Full

funding for this project was originally requested in FY 2016. Due to increased cost estimates for other projects, the FY

2016 funding was only sufficient to complete the Alexandria project’s design ($1.9 million). Construction funding

($9.0 million) was received in FY 2017, and an additional $1.0 million was reallocated from funds originally intended

for the Paducah, Kentucky, project to cover a budget shortfall due to underestimated direct costs, escalation, and

market conditions. As described above, GSA has identified an additional funding shortfall for the construction of this

project. GSA is evaluating all potential options to resolve the identified funding shortfall. Once more information is

available, the judiciary will update congressional staff on a proposed funding solution.

2. U.S. Courthouse, Paducah, Kentucky. $17.7 million. The original CSP project in this location was identified to

address security deficiencies by improving secure circulation, and adding a dedicated prisoner elevator, a dedicated

judges’ elevator, restricted judges’ parking, and a USMS vehicle sally port for prisoner transport vehicles. Estimated

construction completion was originally March 2021; however, in September 2017, GSA issued a report and analysis of

assets potentially impacted by Executive Order 13717, which established a Federal Earthquake Risk Management

Standard. Based on the standard, the Paducah Courthouse was identified as being Exceptionally High Risk and

requiring seismic mitigation. Options to address the risk have been evaluated and as a result this CSP project has been

cancelled. Instead, GSA has determined that the work required for the CSP and seismic upgrades are interrelated in

terms of their execution and must therefore be accomplished as one project. GSA believes that all deficiencies can be

remedied through a prospectus-level renovation and alteration project that will include CSP security improvements, as
15.9

well as seismic and overall building upgrades. GSA intends to request funding to address these deficiencies in FY 

2024. 

Accordingly, GSA submitted in May 2019 a revised spend plan to Congress to reallocate the $17.7 million that had 

been previously reserved for the Paducah CSP project to cover necessary costs for prior year CSP projects that have 

encountered funding shortfalls. These projects were: Raleigh, North Carolina (this project was subsequently cancelled 

in part as noted on page 15.10); Texarkana, Arkansas/Texas; Monroe, Louisiana; and Alexandria, Louisiana. In 

addition, $3.2 million of the proposed reallocation was provided to a project in Fort Worth, Texas, as described below. 

3. Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse, Fort Worth, Texas. $9.3 million ($3.2 million from CSP; $4.3 million from USMS;

$1.82 million from GSA’s R&A FY 2019 Spending Plan). The USMS has a completed security improvement design for the

Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas. This facility currently has an AMP process FBA Security Score of

42.7. The design includes a shared prisoner/judge’s elevator, sally port, holding cells, and restricted and secure circulation, as

well as USMS command center renovations. Detailed construction documents and cost estimates have been completed and the

project is ready for construction. The total project construction cost estimate is $9.3 million, and $4.3 million is available from

the USMS. Because of this funding shortfall, and because this project aligns with many of the goals of the CSP program, the

Space and Facilities Committee, at its November 2018 meeting, approved this project for program participation and approved

the reallocation of approximately $3.2 million in funds originally intended for Paducah, Kentucky. The project also received

$1.8 million from GSA’s FY 2019 Major Repairs & Alterations Spending Plan. Construction is underway and anticipated

substantial completion is May 2023.
15.10

FY 2016 CSP.

1. Terry Sanford Federal Building, Raleigh, North Carolina. $15.7 million. Security deficiencies at this courthouse

were intended to be addressed by adding or reconfiguring elevators, providing secure parking for judges, and

constructing additional secure circulation corridors with security screening revisions to better accommodate both the

courts and the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) - a future tenant. The design for this project was

completed in October 2017. The construction bids received were significantly higher than the budget, therefore, the

design was revised in April 2019. In addition to the $15.7 million of FY 2016 funding, approximately $6.8 million was

reallocated from funds originally intended for the Paducah, Kentucky, project to cover this shortfall due to scope

changes and lack of competition, for total project availability of $22.5 million.

As a result of CSP project delays and other recently identified building deficiencies in the Sanford Federal Building

that are beyond the scope of the proposed CSP project, the Eastern District of North Carolina withdrew support for this

project in November 2019. The Fourth Circuit Judicial Council approved this action in December 2019. At the

USMS’s request, GSA revised design drawings and cost estimates for the construction of one new prisoner elevator and

associated restricted circulation corridors (components of the former CSP project). The projected cost for this elevator

is approximately $6.3 million and the remaining funding balance will be reallocated to other approved CSP projects.

Construction procurement for this project is underway.

2. U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Alexandria, Louisiana (design only). $1.9 million. This project is summarized

above in FY 2017. 

3. Ron De Lugo Federal Building, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (Phase 2). $2.4 million. Security deficiencies at

this courthouse will be addressed by constructing enhancements to the first-floor entry screening and access control

space. The project will provide air-conditioned space for USMS screening equipment, thus prolonging its useful life,

organize the processing space to minimize lobby queuing, provide separate adjacent zones for an employee entrance

and occupant/visitor entrance, and improve ballistic protection available to court security officers. Construction is 93%

complete with an adjusted estimated substantial completion date of October 2022 due to delays from labor shortages

and the pandemic.
15.11

FY 2015 CSP. 

1. J. Robert Elliot Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Columbus, Georgia. $6.7 million. Security deficiencies at this

courthouse were addressed by constructing an enclosed USMS sally port and prisoner and judges’ elevators with secure

prisoner movement, reconfiguring, and constructing new corridors, and adding perimeter fencing. The project was completed

in Summer 2019. As a result of the project, the AMP process FBA Security Score for this courthouse improved from 38.2 to

60.2 and the overall FBA score improved from 54.9 to 61.7.

2. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Monroe, Louisiana. $6.1 million. Security deficiencies at this courthouse will be

addressed by enclosing a sally port, adding one or two elevators (for prisoners and judges), and reconfiguring/constructing new

corridors. Additional judiciary funding ($2.8 million) will be used to build a new courtroom and jury assembly to address

courthouse needs in lieu of building a new courthouse. The design was completed in November 2017. Due to two-plus years

of escalation between the initial and projected construction start dates and underestimated general cost conditions for the

project, approximately $3.4 million was reallocated from funds originally intended for the Paducah, Kentucky project and an

additional $1.4 million was reallocated from the Alexandria, Louisiana project to cover budget shortfalls. Construction was

awarded in April 2021 and anticipated substantial construction completion is February 2023.

3. U.S. Courthouse and Post Office Building, Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas. $7.2 million. Security deficiencies at this

courthouse will be addressed by consolidating the USMS space into one location, enclosing a sally port, adding elevators for

prisoners and judges, building corridors for secure circulation, and reconfiguring building entry screening areas. The design

was completed in May 2018 and construction started in October 2019 with anticipated substantial construction completion in

March 2022. In addition to the $7.2 million of FY 2015 funding, $3.3 million was reallocated from funds originally intended

for the Paducah, Kentucky project and an additional $58 thousand reallocated from Alexandria, LA to cover budget shortfalls

due to underestimated direct costs, escalation, and market conditions. As described above, GSA has identified an additional

funding shortfall for the construction of this project due to labor shortages and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GSA is evaluating all potential options to resolve the identified funding shortfall. Once more information is available, the

judiciary will update congressional staff on a proposed funding solution.
15.12

FY 2014 CSP. Congress did not provide funding for CSP in FY 2014.

FY 2013 CSP. 

1. Ron De Lugo Federal Building, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (Phase 1). $20 million. Several major security

deficiencies at this courthouse will be addressed by constructing judges’ and prisoner elevators, a restricted judges’

garage, a USMS sally port, and other security-related site improvements. A Phase 2 project to construct an

adequate security screening area in the building’s lobby was funded in FY 2016 in the amount of $2.4 million and

is also underway. The overall project is at 93% of construction completion with an adjusted estimated substantial

completion date of October 2022 due to delays from labor shortages and the pandemic. Additional funds from FY

2012 CSP savings, FY 2019 GSA R&A, and reallocated Alexandria project funds, for a total of approximately $1.2

million, have been provided to this project. As described above, GSA has identified an additional funding shortfall

for the construction of this project due to labor shortages and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GSA is evaluating all potential options to resolve the identified funding shortfall. Once more information is

available, the judiciary will update congressional staff on a proposed funding solution.

FY 2012 CSP. 

1. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Benton, Illinois. $4.7 million. Security deficiencies at this courthouse were

addressed by reconfiguring and constructing new corridors, adding an elevator, enclosing a sally port, and constructing visual

barriers. The project is complete, and the court resumed occupancy of the space in January 2015. As a result of the project,

the AMP process FBA Security Score for this courthouse improved from 46.1 to 80.2 and the overall FBA score improved

from 51.7 to 61.1.

2. Hato Rey Complex, Clemente Ruiz-Nazario U.S. Courthouse and Federico Degetau Federal Building, San Juan, Puerto

Rico (Phase 1). $3.1 million. Security deficiencies at this courthouse were partially addressed by constructing a new

dedicated elevator for prisoner movement. The project is complete, and the court resumed occupancy in July 2015. As a result

of this project, the AMP process FBA Security Score for this courthouse improved from 58.9 to 68.2 and the overall FBA

score improved from 70.4 to 73.0. A follow-on Phase 2 CSP project design has been completed and is in construction

procurement phase (described above under FY 2018).
15.13

3. Frank M. Scarlett Building, Brunswick, Georgia. $5.5 million. A new judge’s elevator, perimeter fence, and enclosed

parking area were constructed. Secure circulation was provided on the upper floors by re-stacking the clerk’s public access

operations, relocating the magistrate and bankruptcy judges’ chambers, and constructing a USMS sally port and prisoner

elevator. The project is complete, and the court resumed occupancy of the space in May 2017. As a result of the project, the

AMP process FBA Security Score for this courthouse improved from 41.1 to 63.9, and the overall FBA score improved from

61.2 to 67.7.

4. U.S. Courthouse and Post Office, Lexington, Kentucky. $6.7 million. Security deficiencies at this courthouse were

addressed by reconfiguring and constructing new corridors, adding dedicated prisoner and judges’ elevators, enclosing a sally

port, and constructing visual barriers. In addition to the security enhancements, two new fire egress stairwells were

constructed to make the facility compliant with life safety codes. Construction was completed in July 2017. As a result of the

project, the AMP process FBA Security Score for this courthouse improved from 37.2 to 62.4 and the overall FBA score

improved from 61.9 to 69.1.