How many other major cities have a jail downtown besides Detroit?

**Genesyxx** · November-04-10, 06:48 AM

I only ask after reading that Wayne County recently approved building a $300M sparkling new jail and was considering a Greektown parcel. Story here:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101...-Co.-jail-OK’d

I understand the need to build one near your current base of operations. I was just inquiring about the use of a sizeable parcel of land being used for said purposes and if we're not the only one.

Off topic: Any word on if/when DPD will start rehabbing the old MGM for its headquarters?

**Khartoum** · November-04-10, 07:02 AM

Baltimore has one.

**Hermod** · November-04-10, 07:36 AM

Most counties locate the jail near the county courthouse for convenience in moving prisoners awaiting trial to and from the courtrooms.

I wasn't aware there was a land shortage in Detroit to preclude construction of a county jail.

**WKL** · November-04-10, 07:39 AM

Sacaramento has one. One of the nicer looking buildings down there.

**carolcb** · November-04-10, 07:44 AM

Indianapolis has one. Chicago has one.

**wolverine** · November-04-10, 07:57 AM

The Chicago one is fortunate enough that it looks like an office building at ground level and has a public plaza out front. But the tower on top is pretty awful. At least the prison yard is on the roof so there's no barbed wire fences along the street.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Chicag...2.68,,0,-12.07

**DetroitPlanner** · November-04-10, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

The Chicago one is fortunate enough that it looks like an office building at ground level and has a public plaza out front. But the tower on top is pretty awful. At least the prison yard is on the roof so there's no barbed wire fences along the street.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Chicag...2.68,,0,-12.07

Besides the set-back, I'm not seeing how that is much different than the one we have:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...7.28,,0,-14.88

**Gannon** · November-04-10, 08:35 AM

Took a long walk through San Diego's shopping district after my friend moved there earlier in the year...was taking a discrete toke off my one-hitter and realized I was standing next to their metro jail and across the street from a Federal courthouse.

That was pretty funny.

So, perhaps the question should be...what city DOESN'T have jails within the city limits?!

**MrNittany** · November-04-10, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Most counties locate the jail near the county courthouse for convenience in moving prisoners awaiting trial to and from the courtrooms.

I wasn't aware there was a land shortage in Detroit to preclude construction of a county jail.

Exactly ... here in Hamilton County, Ohio [[Cincinnati) ... the jail is downtown, next to the courthouse ... on the appropriately named Court Street.

**13074Glenfield** · November-04-10, 10:53 AM

Minneapolis and St. Paul both have jails downtown.

**iheartthed** · November-04-10, 11:31 AM

All of them.

**drjeff** · November-04-10, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Khartoum

Baltimore has one.

Baltimore not only has a downtown jail, they have a downtown prison.

**Ray1936** · November-04-10, 11:41 AM

The Clark County Detention Center is in downtown Las Vegas. Some of our visitors end up there.

**Jimaz** · November-04-10, 11:49 AM

Wouldn't it be more unusual for a city to not have a jail downtown? I must not understand the question.

**Hermod** · November-04-10, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Wouldn't it be more unusual for a city to not have a jail downtown? I must not understand the question.

Probably wants to put the jail in Livonia to get it out of Detroit.

**EastsideAl** · November-04-10, 12:19 PM

NYC has the lovely "Tombs" complex in lower Manhattan, which combines a jail and courthouse together in the same huge building. I can tell you from unfortunate personal experience that the place is well-named.

**BrushStart** · November-04-10, 12:42 PM

If jails weren't downtown, then Lenny couldn't say "You're going downtown."

**Russix** · November-04-10, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

If jails weren't downtown, then Lenny couldn't say "You're going downtown."

damn, I'm 8 minutes to late to say that

**rb336** · November-04-10, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

NYC has the lovely "Tombs" complex in lower Manhattan, which combines a jail and courthouse together in the same huge building. I can tell you from unfortunate personal experience that the place is well-named.

They also have that floating prison on the East River

**menckensghost** · November-04-10, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

They also have that floating prison on the East River

The floating prison is part of the larger Rikers Island prison that is some 400 plus acres and holds 14,000 plus prisoners. It isn't exactly downtown [[it is technically part of the Bronx) but then downtown means something entirely different in NYC than it does in the D.

**hybridy** · November-04-10, 04:25 PM

milwaukee county's jail is next door to the courthouse downtown

http://www.architecturalstonesales.c...age/p_0006.jpg

**cman710** · November-04-10, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

NYC has the lovely "Tombs" complex in lower Manhattan, which combines a jail and courthouse together in the same huge building. I can tell you from unfortunate personal experience that the place is well-named.

There is also a correctional facility in downtown Brooklyn.

**Magnatomicflux** · November-04-10, 07:40 PM

Windsor's jail is in Sandwich at Mackenzie Hall.....does that count? We are getting a new one out by the 401 and Walker though.

Yup....this is ALL we have lol

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...13.09,,0,-4.73

Toronto's Don Jail is fairly close to downtown as well.