Case Study | Corrections: Putnam County Jail Expansion

Overcrowding and poor inmate housing conditions in the Putnam County Jail led to the County’s decision to expand the jail’s capacity to meet their existing and future needs. As the project lead, Joe Mrak—then working as a member of RQAW Corp.—conducted a comprehensive study investigating two viable construction options. Putnam County moved forward with the construction of two new housing pods, which led to such increased operational efficiencies that the County was able to finance the entire project without a tax increase through a low-interest U.S.D.A. Rural Development loan.

Each of the two new housing pods included 228 beds and 29,000 s.f., leading to a total of an additional 456 beds and 58,000 s.f. for the facility. The Medical/Program Building also received 5,600 s.f. of new construction, with an added 1,000 s.f. in the kitchen for freezer, cooler, and dry food storage. The housing pods were created with prefabricated modular steel cells and pre-engineered metal buildings, and included elevated control rooms, which helped double the jail’s capacity with a minimal staffing increase. Overall, Joe helped transform the Putnam County Jail into a state- of-the-art facility with the latest technology with only an incremental additional operational cost.