Case Study | Corrections: Okeechobee County Jail and Sheriff’s Office Addition and Renovation

After 13+ years attempting to define and address the sheriff’s office and detention space needs, the Okeechobee County Board of Commissioners embarked on 9-month intensive pre-design and project definition phase to analyze the County’s Justice System and determine 20-year needs, investigate design options, and develop anticipated costs—construction and project costs, lifecycle costs, and staffing & operational budgets. Securitecture developed 5 new construction options and 16 renovation/addition options. For the selected preferred option, Securitecture detailed construction and project costs, plus staffing & operational budgets for 7 different implementation strategies.

A 181,411 s.f. renovation and addition solution added new, larger 224-bed housing pods with 2 classrooms and indoor/outdoor recreation area within the pod replaced existing antiquated, non-compliant housing pods. The capacity of the jail more than doubled from 231 beds to 492 beds without adding any new staff positions. Modular and industrial construction methods/materials were utilized to reduce construction costs and meet local hurricane code wind loads. The County experienced a total savings of more than $13,000,000 on a $1,175,000 investment, solved its 20- to 40-year Corrections and Law Enforcement needs, and ensured future expansion capabilities on the existing downtown site through this Addition and Renovation project.