Courthouse Security Assessments & Planning

Courthouses have security needs that other public buildings don't. Judges, jurors, attorneys, victims, witnesses, in-custody defendants, and members of the public all share one building, often on emotionally charged days. Pacific Advantage Group provides independent courthouse security assessments and planning for courts and counties nationwide. We look at the whole court facility, identify where people and operations are exposed, and deliver prioritized recommendations your court can act on and budget for.

Our assessment covers the whole court facility, from the property line to the bench. We examine how the building's physical layout, technology, staffing, and procedures work together, and where they don't. A typical scope includes:

• Perimeter and parking, including judges' and staff parking, vehicle approaches, and exterior lighting

• Public entrance screening: layout, equipment placement, staffing, queuing, and procedures

• Separate circulation for judges, the public, and in-custody defendants, and the points where those paths cross

• Courtrooms and chambers, including bench design, sightlines, and secure routes in and out

• Holding areas and prisoner transport routes

• Clerk counters and other public service windows

• After-hours access, key control, and building closing procedures

• Duress alarms and how they are monitored and answered

• Cameras and access control systems

• The emergency and lockdown plans that tie it all together, written to account for in-custody defendants and jurors so that every person in the building has a clear and workable plan to follow

If your court wants a starting point before bringing in outside help, our free courthouse security checklist walks through many of the same areas.

Every assessment follows a structured process so findings are consistent, documented, and defensible to the people who fund them.

1) Document review. We review incident logs, security policies and post orders, existing emergency plans, and prior assessments to understand how the building operates today.

2) Stakeholder interviews. We talk with judges, court administration, the sheriff or marshal responsible for court security, and facilities staff. Each group sees different risks.

3) On-site walkthrough. We walk the facility during operating hours, when screening, circulation, and courtrooms are under real load, and again after hours, when access control, lighting, and closing procedures matter most.

4) Risk-ranked findings. Each finding is tied to a specific location or procedure and ranked by risk, so the most serious issues rise to the top.

5) Report and out-brief. You receive a written report with prioritized, budget-tiered recommendations, ranging from low-cost procedural changes to capital projects, followed by an out-brief with your leadership team.

Emergency planning is often part of the same engagement. If your building also needs a formal plan, see our occupant emergency plan development and review services.

We measure your facility against recognized guidance rather than personal opinion. Depending on your court and building, we reference the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) court security guidelines, your state's court security standards, and the ISC Risk Management Process for courts located in federal space. Citing these standards in the report helps court leaders explain recommendations to funding bodies and justify the priorities they set.

Pacific Advantage Group doesn't sell or install security equipment, so our recommendations aren't tied to a product. When we recommend a camera upgrade, a new duress alarm, or a change to the screening layout, it's because the risk calls for it, not because of a sales margin. Often the most effective fixes are procedural and cost little to put in place.

• We support the people responsible for keeping courthouses safe and operating:
• • State courts and judicial branch administrative offices
• • County court administrators
• • Sheriffs' court security units and other agencies that provide court security
• • Facilities and capital planning teams for new or renovated courthouses
• For a new building or a major renovation, it costs far less to address security before construction than after. Our security design review helps project teams find circulation, screening, and holding-area issues while they are still on paper. Procurement staff can find our contracting details on the government buyers page.