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Blue Earth County is a growing southern Minnesota community with Mankato as the County seat. Klein McCarthy Architects was highed by the
County as the Justice Designer to assist in the planning, design and construction administration with a local firm, Paulsen Architects. Klein McCarthy Architects
designed a new jail facility that improved operational and functional needs while master planning the building and site to allow for future expansion.
The jail contains a total of 116 cells divided into 6 housing units which will utilize a mix of direct and indirect supervision. The cells in work release,
general population and female units were designed to allow for double occupancy.
The design incorporated the new court services area on the 2nd floor of the building. This allowed for the opportunity to create secure and separate movement of
inmates into the courtrooms from booking and the housing units.
The County approached this project with the goal of achieving energy efficiency and sustainable design. As a result the Blue Earth County Justice Center is the
first jail in Minnesota to receive a US Green Building Council LEED Certification.
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