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Reuse of Old Jail Benefits Family and Juvenile Courts

NCJ Number
195049
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 64 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 108-113
Author(s)
Robert J. Bailey; Thomas E. Donatelli
Date Published
2002
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the reuse of a historic jail in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.
Abstract
This article details the problems of the Allegheny County Family Courts System during the 1990’s. The family courts were housed in overcrowded and inefficient spaces within Allegheny County, resulting in undue stress to families who used the court system and an overlapping of services. Meanwhile, the old county jail, an impressive historic building, sat unused because it was no longer an efficient jailhouse. In order to renovate the historic jailhouse into a feasible court building, the county commissioners had to overcome problems of funding and commissioner turnover. However, they persevered and the new Allegheny County Family Courts System is now an impressive and efficient court building. It has won many awards including the American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania’s Merit Award and the Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh’s Preservation Award.