Dewberry project profile: David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center expansion

David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center, Tulsa, Okla.

By Dewberry March 3, 2020

To address overcrowding and better serve inmates with mental health needs, in 2014 voters approved funding for the expansion to the Tulsa County Jail, which originally opened in 1999. The expansion’s primary focus is to provide specialized housing and treatment spaces that are essential to assisting those in need of mental health services.

The mental health unit consists of two pods that have a capacity of up to 98 beds, four levels of security, and an office and counseling spaces, as well as facilities for video court processing. To create a more therapeutic, calming environment, we introduced more daylight into the space. Adjacent to the unit is a mental health treatment area, which accommodates both inmates in the mental health pods and those undergoing treatment for mental issues throughout the entire facility. The general population unit includes two new pods that can accommodate up to 160 inmates in a dorm style setting, and also enables the county to provide flexibility for future operational programming that is being considered.

The addition matches the exterior of the original facility and was designed to be operationally efficient, allowing for clear lines of sight and ample sound absorption. We provided all architectural and engineering services, including programming, site/civil, security/technology, and MEP.


This article originally appeared on Dewberry’s websiteDewberry is a CFE Media content partner. 

Original content can be found at www.dewberry.com.