Justice Facilities Review Award

Entrants

• This award is open to AIA members and non-members based in the U.S. or internationally
• Projects submitted by jury members or by the organizations they represent, and projects that included jury members on their team, will be disqualified.
• All entries must receive permissions from owners and other team members and acknowledge that permission as part of the submission.
• Communication with jurors by the entrants is inappropriate and cause for disqualification. All architects of selected projects must verify that neither they nor persons acting on their behalf, had any written or other communication with any juror regarding any submitted project from the time of submittal to completion of the jury process.

Projects

· Projects can be either Completed (Construction completed after 1/1/2019) or Unbuilt (100% DD completed after 1/1/2019).

· Unbuilt projects can be submitted with presentation graphics, models and renderings in lieu of photographs. Unbuilt projects must be completed through 100% Design Development.

· Unbuilt project award recipients may re-submit the project once it is constructed.

· Any project that credits a jury member or firm as lead architect is ineligible and will be disqualified if submitted.

Fee: Single project submissions are $450 each. Submitting the same project to additional award categories costs an extra $100 per category.

Categories

• Courthouses
• Corrections/detention
• Law enforcement
• Land ports of entry
• Public safety buildings
• Border patrol stations
• Substance abuse treatment facilities
• Transition / step down housing
• Forensic laboratories
• Forensic behavioral health facilities
• Medical examiner facilities
• Emergency operations

Application Components
Extensive information on the materials required to submit an application is housed in the AIA online application portal. Please reference the information in this portal when the program is receiving materials . 
 

Review Criteria

Essential elements for identifying the success of these projects are:

• Functionality
• 
  Security and safety
• 
  Technology and accessibility
• 
  Community impact
• Sustainability and economic feasibility (first cost and long-term cost of ownership)
• Aesthetic achievements
   

Recognition

• Citations will be given to projects that demonstrate excellence in all six (6) essential elements of justice facility design outlined above. In addition to the citations, a number of additional projects will be selected by the jury for publication in the Justice Facilities Review.
• The jury has the discretion to waive the citation award requirement to excel in all six (6) essential elements if they deem the project is exceptional in meeting the needs of all users or provides an exemplary solution to an atypical design challenge. The number of citations and published projects will be at the sole discretion of the jury.
• The recipients will be announced to the members of the Academy of Architecture for Justice and selected projects will be showcased with imagery and narratives on AIA.org and featured in the AAJ design awards publication.
• Clients and architects typically accept their award certificate on stage at the Justice Facilities Review (JFR) award celebration at the AAJ fall conference.
• Selected projects may also be featured in a number of publications, presentations, and conferences, or included in other AAJ-sponsored media presentations. Likewise, recipients may be invited to present their work at AAJ and partner conferences.

For information on 2025 recipients of this award program visit our awards management portal.  

Recipients of this award from 2024 and 2023 can be found at AIA award winners. For previous recipients please contact AIA Archives.