Correctional facility owners are managing increasingly complex medical and behavioral health needs, creating additional considerations for the planning and design of justice infrastructure. STV is contributing to this discussion through an article by Codi Newsom, PE, LEED AP, the engineering and design company's vice president and justice market pursuit leader, published Oct. 9, 2026.
The article examines how approaches used in healthcare and behavioral health environments can inform correctional facility design. It focuses on incorporating human-centered planning principles while maintaining the security and operational requirements of justice facilities.
Design considerations include natural daylight, acoustic performance, privacy, circulation patterns and staff spaces. These elements can influence how occupants experience a facility and how personnel communicate and carry out daily responsibilities.
The article references STV's work on the Macomb County Central Intake and Assessment Center in Michigan, the Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center and the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. Behavioral health examples include the Bronx Psychiatric Center and the South Beach Psychiatric Center Residential Building in New York.
These projects provide examples of facility types where treatment access, occupant well-being, staff needs and security must be considered together. The design challenge involves accommodating healthcare-related functions without compromising the requirements of correctional operations.
For public agencies planning new or upgraded facilities, these considerations are relevant to programming, space planning and the coordination of clinical, administrative and security functions.
The discussion highlights the importance of integrating healthcare and behavioral health considerations into justice infrastructure planning. Public-sector owners and project teams may need to balance secure circulation, privacy, treatment access and appropriate staff environments when defining facility requirements.
For architects, engineers and construction teams, these priorities can influence design coordination and decisions about how spaces support both operational control and service delivery. The article contributes to the broader industry discussion about planning correctional facilities for occupants with diverse needs while preserving essential security functions.
Source: STV Inc.
