AccessNorthGa reports from Baldwin, Georgia, that SteelCell of North America offers modular detention units tailor-made for particular applications, whether new construction or made to fit existing prison facilities. SteelCell president and CEO Mike Smith said, “We had a recent jail build in Virginia with 324 cells and had 65 different, unique types of boxes. We have ultimate configuration options.” He said the steel modular units weigh only 5,000 pounds per unit as opposed to 30,000 pounds each for comparable concrete cells. His units can be high rise, only require a concrete slab instead of a foundation, and construction time is faster. Anti-contraband furnishings are available, and an in-cell shower can also be installed in the modular unit. A presentation at the company’s headquarters in Baldwin enticed Sheriff Brian Marks of Cloud County, Kansas, to see first hand how the units are constructed. “Our current jail was constructed in 1929, so it is a little outdated,” he noted. “We’re really looking forward to getting something done.” Smith said,“You’re assured you’re getting a quality product that’s probably going to last longer than any other equipment in your jail – and you need it to.You don’t need to be worried about the walls in your jail. You need to be manipulating doors to keep them operating and greased so that they open easily.” Among other projects for the modular units, Smith said he supplied the Naval military prison at Guantanamo Bay with 200 cells. He also provided units for the Hawkins County (TN) Judicial Center when they remodeled a SuperKMart into a detention facility in Rogersville.
