The Bradley County Justice Center became fully functional when inmates occupied the facility in May 2004. Administrative personnel worked with Architect J. Mark Rodgers to design a facility that would not only meet the future needs of the Sheriff's Office and the Criminal Justice system, but would position the department to enter the arena of scientific criminal investigations.

The Judicial Complex includes Sheriff's administration, the Criminal and General Sessions Court, and the Bradley County Jail.

Housing inmates in the same facility as the criminal courts helped ease the burden on the Sheriff's Office to transport inmates to the courthouse in downtown Cleveland.

The complex has approximately 160,000 square feet of space. There are over 150 security cameras throughout the interior and exterior of the building that are monitored 24/7 from the jail's master control center.

The facility is much larger than the county's original Justice Center on Johnson Boulevard. Constructed in 1981-82, the 36,000 square foot building housed the jail, Sheriff's administration and one General Sessions Court. It opened with 117 beds and cost the county $2.3 million dollars to build.

Construction of the New Justice Center was completed in April 2004 at a cost of approximately $16 million. That figure includes $2 million the U.S. Marshall's Service funded after negotiation of a contract that provides housing for up to 100 federal inmates. The jail has 408 beds and is one of the most modern and secure facilities in the southeast.

Inmate visitation has improved through the addition of a spacious area for family members. Visits are conducted over a video connection between the visitation lobby and each cell pod.

Sheriff's Administration

The facility houses all of the administrative activities for the Office of Sheriff, traffic investigations, human resources, purchasing, criminal investigations, drug unit, training, records, public information and patrol activities

Criminal Investigations and Crime Scene Investigations

A portion of the Criminal Investigations Division houses the Crime Scene Investigations Lab, a resource used regularily by investigators to help solve crimes. The Crime Scene Unit assists investigators with the collection of fingerprints and evidence from crime scenes.  The lab has AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) equipment so prints can be entered into the national database.

Jail Services and Visitation Center

Months of planning preceded a change in the corrections division to the direct supervision philosophy of inmate supervision. This represents a total change from the county's former facility on Johnson Boulevard and necessitated retraining of correction officers who were accustomed to indirect inmate supervision. Seven pods in the new facility use direct supervision. The segregation and disciplinary pods are indirect supervision.

Inmate visitation no longer requires moving the individual to another area of the jail to visit with family or friends. A video connection between each pod and the visitation lobby has made the process much simpler and has totally eliminated passing contraband to inmates during visits. Bradley County was first in Tennessee to provide this cost saver and risk reduction innovation.

The Visitation lobby is located on the west side of the Justice Center. Hours are M-F 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Bradley County Criminal and General Sessions Court

Both courts are held at the Judicial Center, the first time in history that criminal court cases were not heard exclusively at the courthouse. This courts section includes Circuit Court Clerk's office where criminal warrants and records are kept, and the Courts / Community Service Unit.

Eliminating prisoner transports to the courthouse has already saved the county thousands of dollars. Over a period of years, reduced labor and vehicle maintenance costs should result in significant savings.

District Attorney's Office

The state prosecutor for the 10^th Judicial District has workspace for use while court cases are being heard. The office can be used to discuss cases, meet with defense attorneys and to provide victim services. Visitors to the criminal justice system now have many resources to serve them at one site, easing the stress and pressure often experienced by victims of crime.

Bradley County Emergency Medical Service

Early in the planning process county leaders realized the impact an emergency medical services unit could have on response time to a large area in the southern part of Bradley County. A two-bay ambulance station serves not only the medical needs of the community but is available when needed for medical emergencies in the jail.

Law Enforcement Training Center

Training the 21^st century law enforcement professional is a daunting task. Keeping up with the latest technology and changes in procedures is of high importance to the Sheriff. There are two training facilities in the complex equipped with the latest in audio and video technology. His goal to evolve into a regional training center was achieved during the first year of use. The training staff is seeking topics that would benefit not only our staff but other law enforcement agencies in our area.

Directions

From Knoxville via I-75 south - Exit the interstate at exit 20. Turn left onto the US 64 bypass (APD 40) and proceed approximately 4.4 miles to the third traffic light. Turn left onto Blackburn Road and then turn left onto Foster Lane. Turn left onto Blythe Avenue. The entrance for General Sessions Court and Criminal Court will be in front of you. To reach the booking office turn left at the Judicial Center sign. The double garage doors that stand out from the rest of the building access the sally port and the booking area. Sheriff's administration, the training center and visitation are located on the back (west) side of the building. There are access roads at the north and south ends of the complex. The entrance to the Criminal Investigations Division and Forensics Lab is at the south end of the building.

From Chattanooga via I-75 north - Exit the interstate at exit 20. Turn right at the end of the ramp and follow the directions above.

From Polk County via U.S. 64 west - Proceed west on US 64 to Cleveland. Take the US 64 W / Chattanooga exit which is just beyond the US 64 bypass bridge. Stay on the bypass for approximately 2.6 miles until you reach the second traffic light. Turn right onto Blackburn Road and then left onto Foster Lane. You will turn left onto Blythe Avenue. To reach the booking office turn left at the Judicial Center sign. The double garage doors standing out from the rest of the building access the sally port and the booking area. Sheriff's administration, the training center and visitation are located on the back (west) side of the building. There are access roads at the north and south ends of the complex. The entrance to the Criminal Investigations Division and Forensics Lab is at the south end of the building.