The new Ford County Jail in Dodge City, Kansas is a 256-bed facility with Sheriff's Office. The Jail is a blend of direct / indirect supervision styles with open, raised control posts in the general housing areas. They are designed, so the officer is protected while still having direct control and supervision of the housing and circulation areas. The jail is designed to allow for an expansion of up to 500-beds.

When building the jail, the team used precast modules to construct the cells. This method can be an advantage on "green" site projects, because it reduces construction time by several months, and on a project like Ford County where they're paying to house inmates in other counties, the savings to the county are significant. By using this technique, the project was completed several months ahead of schedule.

Each housing pod has its own programming and recreation space, keeping inmate movement throughout the facility at a minimum. Video visitation also minimizes inmate movement, as they only leave their housing pods to go to court or medical. Maximum flexibility is achieved by providing individual cells, sized for double bunking capabilities and dayrooms sized accordingly (per American Correctional Association standards).

The jail's features include a small juvenile holding area maintaining site and sound separation, a negative air pressure medical unit, male and female Work Release with separate entrances from General Population and a separate dress out and release path that doesn't cross traffic with Intake & Booking. Additionally, the Sheriff's Office was designed to provide staff security, while providing "public friendly" access to Sheriff's services.

The facility also incorporates state-of-the-art touch screen controls and security systems throughout. The design allows for each control center to be under the direct visual observation of at least two other control posts at all times, increasing the security of the facility without increasing staff.

While the bulk of the facility incorporates these latest features and technology, the Public Lobby capitalizes on the opportunity to recognize the history and essence of Dodge City and Western Kansas. As visitors enter into the two-story lobby, they are greeted by a silk screen wall covering, which features images of Dodge City during its "Wild West" days and portrait photography of some of the area's more notable figures including Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson.