CLEVELAND COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER

NORMAN, OK

Cleveland County hired AIP to plan and promote solutions to their county’s failing jail facility. Originally designed for 139 inmates, the existing county jail regularly housed 215 people. In addition, the existing facility had numerous functional and operational deficiencies that made it expensive to operate. Voters of Cleveland County approved a tax increase to fund and operate a new justice facility.

The new Jail is approximately 120,000 square feet and includes three pods capable of housing 544 inmates. Each pod is separated by indoor/outdoor recreation courtyards that are located within the secure walls of the facility and visitation for the inmates is conducted via remote video. These design features enhance the level of security for the staff as well as the inmates. The kitchen and laundry are operated by trustees and are designed to handle 1,200 inmates, the full capacity of the jail after future expansion. The exterior of the building was designed to blend into the surrounding neighborhood, the use of traditional brick colors and sloped roofs run counter to the typical appearance of jail facilities.