A jail transition director for Monroe County was announced and introduced at Tuesday night’s county council meeting.
Cory Grass will lead the transition from the current jail at College Avenue and 7th Street to facility to be constructed at a location that is not yet determined.
Grass is a Monroe County native who interned at the Monroe County jail, went on to serve in Bloomington’s police department, and more recently in the FBI, before starting his own consulting firm, Apex Solutions Group.
Making the introduction to county councilors at their regular Tuesday meeting was Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté’s chief deputy, Phil Parker.
Grass will serve as the jail transition director not as a county government employee, but rather as a contractor for the sheriff.
County councilors were enthusiastic about the announcement. Councilor Marty Hawk told Grass “You are the special person that we’ve been looking for—that he’s [Marté] been looking for.” Hawk told Grass she was looking forward to working with him.
Councilor Trent Deckard said, “I’m so excited for your appointment!” Deckard attended the same elementary school as Grass, telling him: “All those old Grandview [Elementary] kids turned out really well, as we know firsthand.” Deckard added, “I think this is awesome.”
The following morning, Grass was again introduced, this time to the board of county commissioners. County commissioner Julie Thomas told The B Square after the meeting that she is glad the county is moving forward with the position of jail transition director.
Thomas reiterated what she’d told Grass—that the transition will require more than the work of one person. She encouraged Grass and the sheriff’s team to reach out to the commissioners for support when they need it. Thomas said, “We look forward to working with them—because we’re all going to have to work together. So it’s going to be a great collaboration.”
The construction of a new jail, at a location different from the current one at College Avenue and 7th Street, is the county government’s response to the work of two consultants, delivered two and a half years ago. The reports from the consultants concluded that the current county jail facility is failing to provide constitutional levels of care.
Commissioners are expected to identify a site for the new jail sometime in the first quarter of 2024.
Tuesday’s announcement of Grass as jail transition director came two weeks after Monroe County commissioners approved an amendment to their ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) spending plan to pay for the jail transition director’s contract for three years.
County councilors had earlier approved an appropriation of $110,000 per year, for three years, to fund the contract.
Commissioners were at first reluctant to revise the APRA plan, based on their view that the jail transition director should be someone who already works in the sheriff’s office. Marté did not want to tap either his chief deputy, Phil Parker, or his jail commander, Kyle Gibbons, to direct the transition. Marté’s view was that either of them would have been capable, but do not have the extra time required to put into directing the transition.
Some details from Grass’s resume include service as a Bloomington police officer from 1993 to 2002. His FBI career spanned 20 years from 2002 to 2022, including stints in FBI offices in Miami, Terre Haute, and Bloomington.
Grass earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University. He also earned a masters in secondary education from IU.
I find it interesting that it is not mentioned that Cory graduated from the IU police academy after serving as a cadet officer ???