$50 Million Juvenile Facility Opens in Ohio

DAYTON, Ohio — Montgomery County officials unveiled a new $51.6 million juvenile justice center that combines judicial and detention facilities.

The 210,000-square-foot facility provides 14 courtrooms — each with an adjacent holding cell — and 12 direct-supervision housing pods with a total detention capacity of 144 beds.
Each 12-bed housing pod is designed with a central common area and several meeting rooms for attorney-client visits. A community dayroom linking each pair of pods is designed to provide a larger space for inmate activities and recreation.

The center’s detention component also incorporates a fully equipped gymnasium and a covered open-air exercise space. Featuring a K-12 charter school that provides a full educational program, wards are required to attend classes while incarcerated.

The center’s judicial component houses public defender, prosecutor, child services caseworker, clerical and administrative personnel office space, while also providing space for psychological services and other programs.

In addition to an offender intake and assessment area, a family meeting area for inmate visitation and medical facilities are located on the first floor.

Initially scheduled for completion in 2006, the center’s opening was delayed mid-project by a county commission decision to combine judicial and detention operations, which forced some significant design modifications, officials say.