The Monroe County Commissioners want to move forward with a new jail in North Park despite council pushback.
The commissioners approved an $11 million purchase for the lot Thursday morning.
The commissioners are trying to meet a deadline set in a settlement agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. That is the culmination of a 2009 lawsuit over poor conditions for inmates in the current Monroe County jail.
The county must have a plan for a new jail by the end of May, ort he case will go back to court.
Months of disagreements between the commissioners and the Monroe County Council have delayed progress for a new jail at North Park. Commissioners first approved purchasing the site in 2024.
After years of legal extensions and deteriorating conditions in the jail, Commissioner Jody Madeira says the county needs to find a workable solution now.
“We stumble if we continuously look back over our shoulders,” Madeira said. “The 17-year history of this must be a hand on the back that shoves us forward and not a grip on our shoulder that holds us back.”
The county council must agree to pay for the North Park site in May if the ACLU deadline is to be met.
The council refused to pay for a new jail site in North Park last fall, wanting instead to fund a cheaper jail within Bloomington city limits. After the county commissioners brought the North Park site back to the table this spring, council members accused them of coercion for pushing the project forward despite their objections.
Madeira said the commissioners’ urgency shouldn’t be mistaken for coercion.
“This urgency comes from the human rights of the inmates in our jail, from the jail conditions, from the risks to county employees and from the risks of renewed litigation,” Madeira said. “Our mutual goal is to work together to avoid a lawsuit, if that can be done reasonably and responsibly.”
Commissioner Julie Thomas responded to the pushback and division in the county with heated remarks Wednesday.
“I have let this go on long enough, and I will not let it go on anymore,” Thomas said. “The people in Monroe County need to know that we are more interested in solving the problem than scoring political points. So, I've joined my colleagues in asking our colleagues on the county council to lower the temperature here.”
The Bloomington City Council joined the county council’s opposition to the North Park site at an April 23 meeting. Members of both councils again voiced their concerns over the location of the new jail, saying they were worried about inmates’ connections to social services and transportation.
Monroe County Council President Jennifer Crossley also addressed cost. The 400-bed jail and justice complex is estimated at more than $220 million.
“I could tell you one thing, if we continue to go to North Park, everybody inhere can be looking into more taxing,” Crossley said at the city council meeting.
The county had considered another location on Fullerton Pike in 2022, but the plan was rejected by city officials, including city council members.
Thomas said the current jail cannot be renovated, and no other location could be ready for construction in time. North Park is “shovel-ready,” she said.
Thomas said commissioners have done their due diligence to find the best jail site, address poor conditions for inmate sand meet the deadline set by the ACLU.
“The bottom line is, this has gone on long enough,” Thomas said. “If Monroe County fails to meet the provisions of the settlement agreement, we're going to look at the council and ask why.”
The county council approved plans Wednesday night for hiring outside legal counsel. Its next meeting is May 12.
