Blue Earth County Justice Center

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The historic Blue Earth County Courthouse was built in 1889 and while the location, design and material use represented the quality and dignity of an historic court facility, the building had become obsolete in terms of adequate and appropriate space and lacked proper security. The new court services building integrates all justice services (Court Services, Jail, County Attorney, Sheriff's Office, and Probation) into one facility that provides convenience to the citizens and operational efficiency for the County.

Klein McCarthy Architects was hired by the County as the Justice Designer to work with a local firm, Paulsen Architects, in the planning, design, and construction administration for their new Law Enforcement Center. Part of the concept for improved operations was to locate all Justice Services - the jail, law enforcement, courts, county attorney and probation - in one building.

Integration of the jail facility, law enforcement, and courts facilities improves safety and security for inmate transfer between the jail and courtrooms, as well as safety for staff and the public. A corridor connects the back of the holding cells to a secure elevator leading to the courtroom. This method addresses the site and sound separation requirements while allowing dual use of the Intake/Release holding cells.

The jail contains a total of 116 cells divided into 6 housing units which will utilize a mix of direct and indirect supervision. The cells in work release, general population and female units were designed to allow for double occupancy.

The new 6 station dispatch / 911 communication center was designed as a self-sustaining area to continue to function in the event of an emergency. The raised access flooring allows for convenient future changes in equipment and technology.
 

The design incorporated the new court services area on the 2nd floor of the building. The facility has 3 jury courtrooms, an arraignment courtroom, a hearing room, and shelled space to allow for 2 future jury courtrooms. Support space includes judge's chambers, jury deliberation areas and court administration. The location of 4 courtrooms was planned with inmate holding and elevators to provide secure inmate movement from the jail to the courtrooms.

The County approached this project with the goal of achieving energy efficiency and sustainable design. As a result, the Blue Earth County Justice Center is the first jail in Minnesota to receive a US Green Building Council LEED Certification. Geothermal heating, natural lighting, energy-efficient systems, the use of local materials, and recycling waste were a few contributing factors towards this achievement.