Hamblen County Justice Center

Hamblen County faced significant challenges with its 50-year-old, 255-bed detention facility. The obsolete structure struggled with overcrowding by over 200 inmates, reduced safety and security, and inadequate inmate separation. These conditions led to the loss of state certification and placed severe strain on both staff and facility operations. In response, the county undertook one of the largest construction initiatives in its history: the development of a new combined courthouse and detention center on a highly constrained site.

Collaborative Design Process

Moseley began its involvement with a needs assessment in 2016 and subsequently led intensive design charrettes with county stakeholders to address the complex site constraints. The firm facilitated ongoing coordination with county leadership, court administration, judges, and detention center management through targeted workshops, work sessions, public presentations, and community forums. Three former detention facility administrators from Moseley's in-house criminal justice team provided operational expertise that translated functional requirements into efficient building programs. Their direct knowledge of detention operations informed design decisions that improved staff sightlines, eliminated blind spots, and integrated monitoring technologies. These enhancements increased safety and operational efficiency while reducing required staffing levels.

Courthouse Design

The courthouse component includes two courtrooms for circuit, sessions, and criminal courts, along with judicial offices, administrative areas, and community services. A third courtroom serves juvenile court hearings. The symmetry and balance of the architectural elements convey fairness and impartiality. Natural light filters through clerestory windows in the main lobby, where elevated ceilings and warm wood paneling establish elegance and dignity. The design harmonizes ceiling layout, lighting, and mechanical systems with acoustics, audio-visual technology, and millwork to create a space that reflects the gravity of the judicial process.

Detention Center Capabilities

The multi-story detention center provides a 621-bed core capacity with infrastructure to support 750 inmates. The facility includes food services, laundry, booking areas, and inmate property storage sized for future growth. Housing options include both celled and dormitory configurations, along with spaces for medical, dental, mental health, counseling, education, vocational training, and religious assembly. The facility enables classification and housing of inmates according to offense nature, which reduces inmate-on-inmate violence. Educational and rehabilitative programming includes GED instruction, domestic violence education, substance abuse treatment, and anger management courses. These programs support successful reentry and long-term community safety, reflecting stakeholders' priority of reducing recidivism.

Integrated Engineering Solutions

Moseley's architectural and engineering team coordinated multiple disciplines into a cohesive solution. Modular steel cells reduced structural dead loads and minimized the building footprint on the constrained site, while a micropile foundation system provided structural stability. The electrical infrastructure includes 1.5 megawatts of diesel backup generation supporting critical courthouse infrastructure and complete backup for the detention center. Advanced lighting design incorporates low-glare fixtures and daylighting strategies to support occupant well-being. Mechanical systems feature air-cooled chillers, high-efficiency boilers, variable-speed pumps, and dedicated outside air units with energy recovery. Intake areas receive 100 percent outside air through systems with zero percent leakage energy recovery, preventing cross-contamination. Acoustic wall panels throughout the courthouse reduce background noise and sound reverberation, creating a calmer environment for all occupants.

The completed justice center, the most recently constructed justice facility in Tennessee, establishes a benchmark for justice architecture. The 200,000-square-foot facility balances operational efficiency with occupant experience through its integrated design approach. By combining judicial and correctional functions under one roof, the project delivers measurable outcomes in safety, sustainability, and community value. The facility strengthens public trust in the justice system while providing a secure, dignified environment for judges, judicial staff, detention personnel, visitors, and individuals in custody.

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