ABINGDON, Va. — The proliferation of regional jails in Virginia reflects a rising interest in reducing operating costs by replacing older, smaller, inefficient local facilities. Regional jails have proven to be an efficient means of relieving overcrowding, and they provide an opportunity for construction cost sharing among partners.
The Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority serves the Virginia counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise, as well as the City of Norton. Developed to serve southwest Virginia, the multi-jurisdictional regional jail system consists of four jail facilities that house both male and female inmates.
The Authority recently undertook a major expansion of three of the four facilities (in Duffield, Haysi and Abingdon). A total of 512 new beds were added, and each location now has an infrastructure that can accommodate a 50% increase in bed capacity through the addition of future housing units.
The multi-site project was delivered under Virginia’s Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA), which gives local governments the flexibility to procure design-build construction projects.
Howard Shockey & Sons served as construction manager. The project team also included Moseley Architects and Thompson & Litton, Inc.
QUICK FACTS:
Cost: $33 million (total, all three jails)
Size 107,325 square feet (total, all three jails)
Project: Expansion and renovation (at each location)
All three projects were delivered on January 15th as planned. Shockey turned over the kitchen and video visitation areas for these jails (which remained occupied throughout construction) more than six months ahead of schedule.
Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. also built the Western Virginia Regional Jail, the first LEED accredited jail in Virginia.
About Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc.
As a general contractor, design-builder, and construction manager, Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. provides a wide range of construction services for negotiated, public-private, and bid projects. Primary markets include healthcare, educational, public and institutional, senior and assisted living, office and commercial, parking structures, and industrial projects.