Overview The new Bernalillo County Detention Center, perched atop the West Mesa about 18 miles west of Downtown Albuquerque means a new way of doing business in the criminal justice system. It is jointly operated by Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, which share the jail’s costs equally to house their prisoners.

This 2,200-bed jail is a modern, direct supervision detention facility designed to provide state-of-the-art security for 2,200 inmates and includes a medical suite, detox center and three levels of security. Housing clusters are designed as a modular combination of eight, 64-inmate pods that have interchangeable dimensions and structure for cell or dormitory housing. The project kitchen, utilities and site infrastructure are all designed for future expansion of up to 5,000 beds on a 150-acre site.

This high-tech $ 80 million lock-up expects to ease much of the overcrowding evident in the Downtown Jail and will employ almost 300 corrections officers.

Details Construction on the primary site electrical distribution system for the Bernalillo County Detention Center consisted of the installation of primary, normal and emergency power and 15 kV distribution system. Installation consists of underground ductbank, manholes, 15 kV switchgear, 15 kV sectionalizing switches, 15 kV paralleling switchgear, two 1850 kW, generators, designed to have six, 15 kV transfer switches, pad-mounted transformers, 480-volt switchgear, and overhead power line. The distribution system is a loop feed with overhead power line with the ability to parallel with main utility source. Also installed as part of this project was the high mast lighting for the site.

The duct bank portion of this project included the installation of 16-way 6”, 12-way 6”, 8-way 6”, 6-way 6”, 8-way 4”, 4-way 4” duct banks, site lighting conduit, six new manholes, poured in place high-mast pole bases and high-mast lights.