The current space occupied in the Litchfield Judicial District is 35,554 square feet, which includes the existing JD and GA, Superior Court for Juvenile Matters, and leased space for Family Services, State's Attroney and Public Defender. The new courthouse is proposed to be approximately 160,000 square feet. The increase is due to three major factors: increase in circulation required for ADA and security; increase to relieve overcrowding; and increase for projected growth. The amount of increase is summarized as follows:

*Current locations include: Litchfield JD, Bantam GA18, Superior Court for Juvenile Matters, Family Services Lease, State's Attorney Lease, Public Defender Lease.

Increase due to Circulation - Security and Code (ADA)

Security

The realization that security in courthouses must be designed in has increased the size of the courthouse. Older courthouses do not generally keep staff and judges separate from the public when entering or leaving the building, the courtrooms or the office suites. Current standards require three separate, segregated circulation systems: public, staff, and secure prisoner/detainee.

The secure circulation system has also increased in size over older courthouses. Vehicular sallyports leading to cellblocks with sufficient cells to safely hold prisoners who must appear in the courts must be provided. Separate circulation systems from the cellblock to the courtrooms must be designed, which, in multiple story designs, requires one or more prisoner transport elevators.

In the public circulations system, security is also an issue that must be reflected in the design. All courthouses now have metal detectors and provision for x-ray machines at all public entrances. Additional space in the main lobby is required for the installation of the equipment and supporting areas, as well as additional queuing space before the detector station.

Code

The Judicial Branch is committed to maintaining a barrier free environment in all locations. Our buildings must meet the requirements for the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as all other requirements of building and life safety codes.

Older buildings do not have adequately sized corridors, courtroom wells, office circulation, and lavatory spaces. Clear examples of increases in size to accommodate barrier free access include lavatories, which now must be a minimum of 55 square feet, where older installations may be sized at 36 square feet or less. Given the number of lavatories in courthouses this increase of over 50 percent has an impact. Even more significant is the width of corridors, which now must be a minimum of 44 inches wide; some older designs would offer 36 inches or less. Judicial standards usually call for a corridor of 48 inches wide; additional width, possibly to 60 inches, may be required depending on the number and location of doors opening into the corridor. Additional width and length may also be required to allow adequate door swings for access by mobility challenged persons. Courtroom aisles and wells in older building did not allow for easy access; accommodation of wheel chair and attendant seating in spectator seating has required additional space to maintain the number of spectators to be accommodated.

Relief of Overcrowding

The current buildings do not meet standards for the existing staff and functions. Some staff functions share space with others or borrow space: for example, the Trial Court Administrator uses space within the clerk's office. Other functions, such as the Victim Advocate, have no space assigned and must use what conference rooms, lobbies or other space that can be used temporarily. Of particular note is the Law Library, a critical part of the judicial process, which currently is less than 15 percent of the size it should be.

Lack of sufficient court and staff space leads to delays and backlogs as cases cannot be heard or processed until a courtroom is available.

Growth

Courthouse design must take into account increases in staff and caseloads beyond the current loads. Courthouses are typically designed with projected growth of 20 plus years, although courthouses themselves are used almost indefinitely. The Litchfield JD itself has been in use for over a hundred years and a newly constructed courthouse can be anticipated to be in use for a similar length of time. A building designed for current case and staff loads would quickly become too small and would not be able to adequately serve the community for the long term. Future building costs to increase space must be assumed to be higher. It is therefore prudent to strike a balance between the shortsightedness of building only for today's needs and building an excessive amount of future space.

To accomodate growth, the courthouse is designed with an increase in the number of courtrooms over the current courtrooms available. Individual functional areas, as in the Criminal and Civil Clerks, are designed for long term projected increase in business and associated staff.

New functions are also added to the courthouse. Functions currently in leased space, because they could not be accommodated in the current buildings, have been designed into the proposed space, such as Public Defender, State's Attorney and Family Services. This will also eliminate lease costs for the State. Additionally, functions that have not been housed within the district, such as Adult Probation and Support Enforcement, will now have sufficient space to provide the services required of them.

In particular, functions that provide service to the public have been designed for the proposed courthouse. A Court Service Center is envisioned, to provide the public with access to information, technology, and services currently not provided in one central, easily accessible location.

Of lesser impact, but still significant, are changes to allow for the implementation of technology. In order to support the computer, telephone, and other communication systems, additional wiring and cabling must be designed into the proposed courthouse. Larger equipment and control rooms are required. Court automation efforts required additional rooms to house and monitor such equipment as A/V recording and digital transcription. Security systems include duress alarms, CCTV monitoring, and HVAC systems controlled by equipment that must be housed and monitored.