Rising Demand for Prison Upgrades Sparks Wave of New Projects Across the U.S.

Construction companies, technology firms and equipment vendors are advised to focus on what is happening with new funding for correctional facilities throughout the country. Plans for these types of facilities are on drawing boards with funding already in place throughout America.

Federal regulations and the high cost of holding offenders in jail facilities with no other available space are driving a significant surge of new construction. Technology is another driver because it delivers so much more efficiency and cost reduction potential on the operational side of prisons, jails and offender housing. Finally, one last factor driving the need for more prison beds is the reduction of mental and emotional healthcare services that were previously available for states. New correctional facilities are being designed with space allocated for these individual services.

A large construction project to deliver a new correctional treatment facility in Washington, D.C., will soon be launched. It will call for the construction of a new facility which will be constructed alongside an existing aging building with many deficiencies. The project has been given a projected cost of $463 million. The new facility will be designed to provide a unified correctional complex consisting of two new annex buildings that adjoin the existing facility. When completed, the project will bring the total complex capacity to approximately 2,144 beds and about 409 garage parking spaces.

The first annex will be designated as specialized housing for behavioral health, general population, intake activities and infirmary services. It will include essential facility components such as a public lobby and visitation area, medical and behavioral health facilities, transport and release operations, administrative spaces, staff support areas and secure parking with approximately 191 spaces.

The second annex will house approximately 352 beds dedicated to general population housing, administrative facilities, resident and staff support areas and additional facility parking with around 218 spaces. The existing facility will undergo targeted renovations to the Women’s Center, central kitchen, laundry workroom, loading docks, medical facilities and administrative spaces. This project is currently in the design phase, with procurement scheduled for late 2025.

Officials in San Diego will oversee a $26.5 million renovation to its Central Jail, the primary booking facility for individuals arrested in San Diego County. It has long needed upgrades to its deteriorating plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. The facility also lacks sufficient security measures, communication systems and adequate sleeping quarters for inmates. To address these issues, the new facility will include upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning, along with enhancements to security, alarm and communication systems.

Additionally, the renovations will improve sleeping quarters to provide better living conditions for individuals in custody. The project will be delivered using a Construction Manager at Risk delivery model. A contractor will be selected in 2025, and solicitation documents are also planned for release later in 2025. The renovation effort is part of a broader 10-year, $500 million modernization plan to improve other detention facilities in San Diego County.

A new correctional facility has been announced for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The current prison, originally built in 1851, is outdated and unable to meet current correctional standards. The project cost is estimated to be $163 million, but the construction of a new facility will be more cost-effective than maintaining the existing structure for several more years. The new building will be designed to accommodate 1,000 beds and allow for future expansion. An emphasis on improved movement, lighting, climate control and accessibility for both visitors and staff will be paramount.

Internally, there will be space for programming, rehabilitation efforts, education classes and support services. The project is currently in the design phase, but it may not be completed by the first quarter of 2026. Solicitation documents will be released in the second quarter of 2026, with construction scheduled shortly after a contracting firm is selected.

A smaller detention center is planned for Watertown, South Dakota. This project’s cost is estimated to be about $19.6 million. It will replace an aging and outdated facility built over five decades ago. The current facility suffers from limited capacity, outdated infrastructure, and many operational inefficiencies. It no longer meets correctional standards, and officials must manually monitor inmates over long distances, which contributes to security risks.

The new detention center will be constructed on county-owned land chosen for its accessibility and potential for future expansion. When completed, it will accommodate approximately 110 beds and be designed to provide security, efficiency and rehabilitation services. Project components will include new modern surveillance systems, improved sightlines of inmates, operational improvements and better monitoring technology.

It will also feature dedicated spaces for rehabilitation programs, educational, vocational training and compliance with correctional building standards. The project is currently in the design phase, which began in late 2024 and is expected to be completed by mid-2025. A bidding process for contractors is scheduled for spring 2025, with construction projected to start by mid to late 2025.

A construction facility project with an $825 million price tag is planned for Charleston, Arkansas. It will call for a new correctional facility to address the state’s prison overcrowding. The state is facing a critical shortage of over 3,000 prison beds, costing Arkansas approximately $30 million annually to house inmates in county jails. In response, the state initiated and is supporting the project to add the new 3,000-bed correctional facility in Franklin County.

In November 2024, the state purchased an 815-acre property in Charleston for $2.95 million to serve as the site. The Arkansas Department of Corrections will oversee the project, which will include a wastewater treatment facility, emergency power generation, entrance roads, parking and perimeter security. It will also include multiple housing units for different custody levels and centralized support facilities that include dining halls, medical areas and operational zones for administrative offices, visitation areas and industry spaces. A solicitation for architectural and engineering design services is underway, with final selection expected by the end of June 2025. Construction will start soon after that.

The price tags being announced for prison facilities are extremely large, and while construction and engineering costs are significant, planning documents often attribute a large portion of the expenses to equipment—especially technology.