by Keith Fentress (Fentress Inc.) and Mike Jones (President, Major Security Consulting and Design, LLC)

The courthouse is an iconic civic building representing the ideals of justice. Typically one of the more prominent government facilities in a community, the courthouse is often the location of...

Courthouses are where conflicts are resolved, and justice is dispensed. Security in the courthouse is critical for all types of proceedings. It is easy to understand the need for security when there is a publicly charged murder trial, a gang proceeding, or a drug cartel on trial. However, any...

Whether the position is a court security officer, sheriff’s office deputy, or contracted guard, the courthouse relies upon security personnel to keep its occupants safe. Every workday, courthouse employees and participants walk through the courthouse doors and most enter the courthouse through a...

There are three separate circulation paths in a well-designed modern courthouse: circulation for judges, the public, and prisoners. Each of these circulation paths cannot cross another. However, like a brain-teaser puzzle where you need to draw a shape without crossing lines, how can you design the...

One common issue I have seen during my years of courthouse analysis is the lack of secure prisoner movement into the courthouse, to the cellblock, and from the cellblock to the courtroom. This problem is more prevalent in older and historic courthouses, but it is widespread nonetheless. However,...