Genesee County Jail

Genesee County Jail

In a transformative move, Genesee County has set a new standard in justice and rehabilitation with a new correctional facility that replaces a 120-year-old jail. The project stands as a beacon of progress, offering enhanced support services and programs aimed at employee and occupant well-being, flexibility, and safety.

In addition to aging infrastructure, Genesee County was also facing the pressing challenges of overcapacity and the costly necessity of housing inmates in neighboring counties, far from their families and service providers.

Genesee County engaged SMRT in 2017 for a comprehensive demographic trend and needs assessment. In partnership with county, healthcare, and community leaders, this assessment laid the groundwork for a facility that meets modern programmatic and classification needs and is flexible enough to meet future demands.

The new 184-bed facility is designed to address capacity issues and provide enhanced programming, focusing on education, wellness, rehabilitation, and treatment.

The design team worked closely with Genesee Justice – a unique division of the Sheriff’s office that provides restorative justice and victim assistance services. The new facility includes a designated office suite for the program within the jail’s administrative area as well as interview rooms located throughout the public and secure areas of the building, underscoring the County’s commitment to restorative justice for victims and offenders.

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Client
Genesee County
Location
Batavia, NY
Square Feet
100,000
Completion Year
2024
Awards
2024 Genesee Valley Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Project of the Year Award Structures $25-75 Million Category
The new facility meets modern programmatic and classification needs and is flexible enough to meet future demands.
The facility includes a dedicated central arraignment room strategically located to provide a secure environment for court proceedings on-premises with public access directly from the front lobby.
Each of the four housing pods has up to five sub-dayroom separations within them, allowing flexibility to meet different population and classification needs, and the ability to contract to fewer pods while maintaining separation requirements.
The layout is optimized for maximum visibility and operational efficiency, minimizing staffing needs by allowing a single correctional officer to monitor both the main dayroom and sub-dayrooms.
Personal laundry and nourishment facilities within each pod instill a sense of independence, while movable furnishings and a variety of spaces promote a degree of normalcy.
The facility includes extensive areas for educational programming including a dedicated classroom space.
Photography by Drew Zinck

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