Faced with operating three separate jail facilities that had safety & security concerns, Dane County hired Mead & Hunt, Potter Lawson, and HDR to aid in providing the Dane County Jail as one consolidated facility and a safe, secure, and humane environment for the staff, public, and inmates with the design of the Dane County Jail.

Goals for this robust, state-of-the-art project include providing one consolidated jail facility; replace the outdated cell blocks in the City-County Building to improve staff and inmate security; provide appropriate medical and mental health housing; provide additional program, education and recreation spaces; eliminate or greatly reduce solitary confinement; provide visitation at the housing units; provide multi-purpose space to meet the spiritual needs of the inmates; provide a downtown location close to the courthouse and bus transportation; improve staffing and operational costs; minimize impacts to the existing operations during construction; and replace the Ferris Huber Center.