Minnesota Close Custody Facility
Rush City, Minnesota
Owner:
State of Minnesota
Architect:
BWBR Architects
Delivery Method:
General Contractor
Size:
330,000 sq. ft.
Completion Date:
2000
Final Cost:
$14.5 Million
The Minnesota Close Custody Facility in Rush City was developed as part of a general expansion of the state’s prison system and is Minnesota’s first new all-male prison since 1981. It is also the state’s only Level 4 (close custody) facility, a security classification one step below maximum. That dictated every aspect of the facility’s design and appearance, from materials selection to layout to construction techniques.
The prison is situated on a 385-acre campus. Four housing complexes can accommodate 950 inmates and surround a central support building devoted to activities which help prepare inmates for life on the outside.
By definition, a close custody facility requires that most operational mechanisms be buried within the walls of the steel and poured concrete structure, secure from access by inmates. The complex, in-wall installation of security and electrical systems meant there was no margin for error once the massive walls were in place.