Renville County Jail & Joint Law Enforcement Center

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Klein McCarthy Architects was asked in 2006 to review and confirm the program for government center expansion for Renville County and design a new jail and additions and renovations to the existing Government Center to accommodate and improve space for Law Enforcement.

KMA worked to design a renovation to the existing jail and Sheriff's department space to accommodate a joint LEC for the Olivia City Police and County Sheriff's department. Having space available allowed the Olivia Police to join the campus and share support spaces with the County Sheriff. Security and convenience for both the city and county Law Enforcement was considered, and spaces were designed to efficiently provide shared amenities that can be used by both departments. While each Department has its own public entry and identity, they share interview rooms, conference rooms, evidence processing and some evidence storage.

The new Justice Center contains courtrooms, judges' chambers, county attorney's offices, work/release residence and the county detention facility. The blending of this major addition with the existing 1920's courthouse was a determining factor in the design of the exterior skin and selection of materials.

The upper floor of the new addition included two new courtrooms, complete with Judges' chambers, jury deliberation, public waiting and conference areas, and a centrally located secure holding facility. Courtrooms were designed for optimum efficiency, sight lines and acoustics. Adjacent functions included new office space for the County Attorney and remodeled facilities for the Clerk of Court.

The adjacent new jail provided 72 beds in an efficient and highly flexible layout allowing staff multiple operational strategies. The close connection between the Law Enforcement Center and the new jail allows the Sheriff's department, city police, and jail staff to interact as a cohesive team.