Correctional Facilities

Concrete masonry materials add up to time and cost savings that benefit designers and their clients today. They also stand the test of time, easily taking the abuse of heavy traffic and vandalism that go hand-in-hand with prison life. Owned by the Department of Corrections for the state of New Jersey, the Riverfront State Prison in Camden is an excellent example of how concrete masonry has weathered the years with ease.

Designed as a state-of-the-art facility, Riverfront State Prison is the opposite of its foreboding gray, fortress-type ancestors. Then superintendent of the facility, Thomas Hundley, said, "What you want to do is have an atmosphere that is conducive for learning and for positive change... where inmates as well as staff feel they are safe and secure."

To combine the requisite attractiveness, security (the city of Camden was not excited at the prospect of a prison in its back yard), low maintenance, fire safety and economic criteria, architectural firm Gruzen/Berger, P.C., Architects & Planners, selected concrete masonry for the entire project.

A total of 430,230 units were used in a combination of buff and mauve, split and ground faces. Standard block units were utilized for back up and cell interiors. The facility's basic construction consists of reinforced, insulated concrete masonry cavity walls. Including labor and materials, the masonry cost $11.50 per square foot and the facility was completed in under two years. The three buildings comprise 189,000 square feet on a 16.7-acre site, and the entire project was completed for $25.9 million.