Monroe County sheriff on racist graffiti in jail cells: “When I see that word…I cannot move slow.”

Monroe County jail intake. An inmate uses a cup as a pillow.

One of two toilets for 20 inmate workers.

Ceiling under an area underneath of the shower and toilet facility in the inmate worker dorm that drips constantly.

Graffiti on a cell wall.

Detritus accumulated between a metal screen and the window.

Ceiling under an area underneath of the shower and toilet facility in the inmate worker dorm that drips constantly.

Monroe County councilor Jennifer Crossley.

From left: Monroe County circuit court judges Catherine Stafford, Darcie Fawcett, Kara Krothe, and Mary Ellen Diekhoff.

Ashley Pirani reads a statement from Monroe County Party chair David Henry at the Jan. 23, 2023 CJRC meeting.

After cleaning: Each person in the intake is now give a pad and a blanket.

After the intake area was cleaned up.

Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté (Jan. 23, 2023)

Monroe County chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker holds a bog of detritus cleaned out from a window ledge that was sandwiched behind a metal grating.

“It looks like that’s not even the United States of America.”

That was Monroe County’s new jail commander Kyle Gibbons talking about a photograph he had displayed for Monday’s meeting of the community justice response committee (CJRC). It was from a slide deck he’d prepared, in order to show committee members conditions inside the jail when he took over at the start of the year.

In the photo, a pitcher of water had been placed on the floor outside a cell door. Jail staff were using it as a stop gap to give inmates water on request—because the water wasn’t working in the cell at the time.

Gibbons told committee members, “The staff was just trying to make sure people had water. …They were trying to ensure that everybody had access to basic human rights.”

But the color of the water inside the pitcher looked sketchy enough that county councilor Peter Iversen asked Gibbons, “That’s drinkable water?!” The glum reply from Gibbons: “That’s drinkable water.”

Monday’s slide deck was a visual followup to oral presentations that Gibbons has given to county commissioners and county councilors in the last couple of weeks.

The visuals he presented on Monday appeared to have a sobering impact on committee members. Continue reading “Monroe County sheriff on racist graffiti in jail cells: “When I see that word…I cannot move slow.”” →

Committee on jail’s future gets tweaks, commander says: “We have an obligation to people here now.”

Monroe County jail commander Kyle Gibbons addresses the county council on Jan. 10, 2023.

Monroe County’s jail is located on the top floors of the Charlotte Zietlow justice center.

In December, Bloomington’s city council unanimously rejected a rezone request for some land in the southwestern tip of the city, where county commissioners had proposed building a new jail.

But planning for the possible construction of a new Monroe County jail continues—as a response to the reports from two consultants delivered to county government 18 months ago. As one of the reports puts it: “The jail facility is failing…”

Still set for Monday (Jan. 23) is the next meeting of the community justice response committee (CJRC). That’s the group that was established by county commissioners to address the problems highlighted in the consultants’ reports.

Even as work continues on planning for the future of Monroe County’s jail, sheriff Ruben Marté’s jail commander, Kyle Gibbons, has addressed both the county council and county commissioners at recent meetings of those elected bodies. His basic message: “We have an obligation to people here now.” Continue reading “Committee on jail’s future gets tweaks, commander says: “We have an obligation to people here now.”” →

Advisory committee on Monroe County jail hits rough road trying to find common ground

The group “Care Not Cages” held a block party on the lawn outside the courthouse before the meeting of the CJRC on Monday Community justice reform committee (Jan. 9, 2023).

Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté (Jan. 9, 2023)

Monroe County deputy prosecutor April Wilson (Jan. 9, 2023).

Bloomington city councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith (Jan. 9, 2023).

Monroe County councilor Kate Wiltz (Jan. 9, 2023).

Monroe County councilor Jennifer Crossley puts air quotes around the word “progressive.” (Jan. 9, 2023).

Monroe County circuit judge Catherine Stafford (Jan. 9, 2023)

County commissioner Lee Jones (Jan. 9, 2023).

City of Bloomington public engagement director Kaisa Goodman (Jan. 9, 2023).

Former Bloomington deputy mayor and mayoral candidate Don Griffin (Jan. 9, 2023).

Community justice reform committee (Jan. 9, 2023).

Outside on the Monroe County courthouse lawn, before Monday’s meeting of the community justice reform committee (CJRC), members of a group called “Care Not Cages” held what they described as a block party—in opposition to construction of a new jail.

At the CJRC meeting itself, members were frank in airing their disappointment about the way the two representatives from the board of county commissioners have approached the work of making recommendations on addressing problems at the jail.

The facility has been described in a consultant’s report as “failing.”

The 14-member CJRC includes county councilors, judges, the sheriff, representatives from the prosecutor’s office, public defenders office, and the county health administrator, among others.

Drawing specific criticism on Monday was the lack of advance information given by commissioners to CJRC members about a trip they took last week to Arizona, to visit correctional facilities there.

Continue reading “Advisory committee on Monroe County jail hits rough road trying to find common ground” →

Rezone for new county jail denied by Bloomington city council, with calls to include city in planning

Bloomington city council (Dec. 21, 2022)

Parcel requested to be rezoned for jail.

Bloomington councilmember Jim SIms.

Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas.

Monroe County attorney Jeff Cockerill.

Michael Carmin.

Sydney Foreman.

This past Wednesday (Dec. 21), Bloomington’s city council denied a request from the county government to rezone an 87-acre parcel in the southwestern tip of the city, so that it could be used for a new county jail.

That city council’s denial came on a unanimous vote. The outcome matched the recommendation from the city plan commission, which had voted 6–3 in mid-November against the rezone.

The city council’s representative to the plan commission, Ron Smith, voted in favor of the rezone as a plan commissioner, but against it as a city councilmember.

The specific request was to change the zoning of the land on Fullerton Pike from mixed-use employment (ME) to mixed-use institutional (MI). Use of the property as a jail would not be allowed under ME, but could be allowed under MI. A jail is a “conditional use” under MI zoning.

The council’s vote came a few minutes before midnight, after about three hours of deliberation, which included about a dozen public commenters, who spoke against the rezone, and generally against the idea of building a new jail.

A couple of public comments were made in favor of the rezone.

For councilmembers, their main land use concern appeared to be the distance from the center of the city to the site and the lack of transportation access. The road that is to be built is not yet completed, and there is not currently any public bus service to the location.

But at least as big a question as land use was the dissatisfaction that councilmembers expressed about the failure to include city officials in the community justice response committee (CJRC).

That’s the group that is making recommendations on how to respond to the work of two consultants, who delivered two studies of Monroe County’s criminal justice system, which were delivered 18 months ago, in June 2021. Continue reading “Rezone for new county jail denied by Bloomington city council, with calls to include city in planning” →

Crossley breaks with other Monroe County officials on new jail choice

County councilor Jennifer Crossley (Dec. 12, 2022)

From left: Circuit court judges Kara Krothe and Catherine Stafford; public defender Mike Hunt; deputy public defender Karen Wrenbeck; deputy prosecutor April Wilson; and prosecutor Erika Oliphant.

From left: County councilor Peter Iversen; and County commissioner Lee Jones (Dec. 12, 2022)

The site of a proposed new county jail was revealed at the end of July, when Monroe County commissioners gave approval of a $10-million real estate deal, for about 87 acres off Fullerton Pike in the southwest corner of Bloomington.

But Monday night’s meeting of Monroe County’s community justice reform committee (CJRC) seemed to dissipate a bit of the momentum for the decision to try to build a new jail at that location.

County councilor Jennifer Crossley stated: “I no longer feel comfortable with the Fullerton Pike property.”

In August, Crossley had joined the other six county councilors in voting to approve the terms and conditions for the purchase of the Fullerton Pike land. The deal required approval from county commissioners and county councilors.

Crossley’s statement on Monday is the second recent snag that the new jail proposal has hit.

In mid-November, Bloomington’s plan commission voted to send a rezone request for the Fullerton Pike property to the city council with a recommendation not to approve it. The purchase of the property is contingent on the rezone, because under the parcel’s current zoning, a jail can’t be built there. Continue reading “Crossley breaks with other Monroe County officials on new jail choice” →

Monroe County OKs start of right-of-way acquisition for 2023 Fullerton Pike roundabout construction

Design concept from 2019 for Phase 3 of the Fullerton Pike road project.

In fall 2023, Monroe County expects to start construction on two new roundabouts. One is at the intersection of Fullerton Pike and Rockport Road. The other is at the intersection of Clearview Drive and Gordon Pike, across from Batchelor Middle School.

The project also includes road improvements like raised medians, bicycle lanes, and a multi-use path.

None of that is breaking news. This is Phase 3 of a larger project, and the initial public meetings on the topic were held in 2019.

But action taken at its regular Wednesday meeting by Monroe County’s board of commissioners is an indication that the project is moving ahead on its expected timeline. The schedule calls for acquisition of the necessary right-of-way, starting this summer, on July 1.

On Wednesday, county commissioners approved a contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation to start acquiring the right-of-way (ROW) from property owners along Fullerton Pike and Gordon Pike. Continue reading “Monroe County OKs start of right-of-way acquisition for 2023 Fullerton Pike roundabout construction” →