Jail Doors

Jail doors are a specific application of hollow metal doors used in jails and other short-term detention facilities. Jail doors must meet ASTM standards for the security level of the facility (security levels 1 - 4). Jail doors must be manufactured to be capable of withstanding a "sustained assault"  in addition to other requirements.

Jail Door Manufacturers

• Trussbilt is a leading US manufacturer of jail doors built around their unique TrussCore technology, which captures the strength of the steel skins.  Trussbilt jail doors can be manufactured suitable for any detention security rating, up to and including maximum security jail doors, and can be custom designed to fit into any existing or new jail facility. A typical Trussbilt jail door has over 800 welding points, granting greater protection against delamination.

Jail Door Specifications

The primary requirement of jail doors is one of security: the metal door must be resistant to a sustained assault with any kind of object that might reasonably be obtained by someone within (or without) a jail cell -- including metal benches and tables and other furniture. Jail doors are often nearly identical to the similar prison doors. The difference between the applications is that jails generally refer to shorter term detention and housing, while a prison usually refers to a more long-term incarceration. The security ramifications are not terribly significant, other than it can generally be assumed that someone will not have as much time to develop a method of defeating a jail door. Like prison doors, jail doors generally need to meet several additional specifications in addition to the ability to withstand a blunt assault.

• Jail doors often need to be fire resistant, which requires thermal break frames as well as draft and smoke controls.
• Depending on the security requirements, jail doors may need to be blast resistant.
• Many jail doors must be resistant to gun fire in addition to blunt assault.
• jail doors are often rated on their acoustic qualities in addition to their security qualities, where sound-dampening qualities are very desirable. This is less of a requirement in typical jail settings than it is in detention facilities that house thousands or tens of thousands of inmates.

Jail doors are almost always custom manufactured to the facility in question, and the jail door solution is determined when the facility is designed. Most jail and other detention facilities make use of some kind of prefabricated solution (using either hollow metal fabrication or the bulkier and heavier concrete). While the cells and components are prefabricated, they are still custom designed to the facility, then manufactured for fast on-site assembly.