By: Greg Eash, Sr. Business Development Executive, equivant Corrections
When evaluating your housing plan, whether you’re a corrections administrator, facility planner, or policy maker, a thorough assessment is critical to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance. Here are five essential considerations for evaluating your jail’s housing plan:
Capacity and Population Management:
Examine whether your housing plan adequately addresses both current population levels and projected growth. Analyze bed space allocation, classification systems, and how the plan handles population surges or declines. Consider whether the design allows for flexibility in housing different custody levels and whether it prevents overcrowding, which can lead to safety issues and legal challenges.
Security and Safety Features:
Evaluate the physical security elements of the housing design, including sight lines for supervision, control points, emergency response capabilities, and separation of different inmate populations. Assess whether the plan incorporates appropriate direct or indirect supervision models and includes adequate safety measures such as surveillance systems, secure perimeters, and suicide prevention features in individual cells and common areas.
Operational Efficiency and Staffing:
Review how the housing layout impacts daily operations and staff deployment. Consider whether the design minimizes unnecessary inmate movement, allows for efficient meal service and medical care delivery, and enables adequate supervision with available staffing levels. Analyze the proximity of housing units to support services like medical facilities, visitation areas, and program spaces to reduce transport time and security risks.
Classification and Special Needs Accommodation:
Assess whether the housing plan provides appropriate space and specialized environments for different classification levels and special populations. This includes separate housing for maximum, medium, and minimum security inmates, as well as dedicated spaces for vulnerable populations such as juveniles (if applicable), protective custody inmates, those with mental health needs, medical isolation units, and gender-specific housing areas that meet current standards.
Compliance with Standards and Future Adaptability:
Verify that the housing plan meets all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ADA requirements, fire codes, and detention standards from organizations like the American Correctional Association. Additionally, evaluate whether the design is adaptable to changing correctional philosophies, technological advances, and evolving legal requirements. Consider whether spaces can be repurposed if population demographics or programming needs change over time.
A well-designed housing plan balances security, operational efficiency, and legal compliance. Regular assessment of these five critical areas will help ensure your facility meets its mission while maintaining safety for both staff and inmates. For more information about how we can help assess your current housing situation, please contact us.
