Coalition urges Monroe County to redirect jail funds to housing, treatment; ACLU lawyer says new facility needed

A coalition of 12 social‑service and advocacy organizations told the Monroe County Council on July 22 that the county should spend proposed jail construction dollars on housing, mental‑health care, food security and substance‑use treatment instead of building a new facility. The council heard about a broad, emotionally charged public comment period that included nonprofit directors, food‑pantry staff and student speakers.

Why it matters: Speakers said county data show many jail detainees are held pretrial and that investments in community services reduce recidivism more effectively than larger jail facilities. The comments come as the county considers design and financing for a proposed justice center and as state legislative changes complicate local funding options.

Multiple speakers representing organizations including New Leaf New Life, Care Not Cages, Pantry 279, Exodus Refugee Immigration, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, Bloomington Democratic Socialists of America and the Bloomington chapter of the National Organization for Women asked county leaders to repair the existing jail to meet constitutional standards and to redirect remaining resources to programs they say reduce incarceration. New Leaf New Life’s director, Stacy Flynn, told the council her organization’s reentry mentorship participants show a recidivism rate of 14.8% compared with a cited Monroe County rate of 29.2% at the Indiana Department of Corrections.

Tracy, assistant director at Pantry 279, said food‑security needs have risen—Pantry 279 now serves nearly 10,000 client visits per month—and described increased pressure on sober‑living houses and other social services. Erin Aquino, director of Exodus Refugee Immigration, urged the county to prioritize affordable housing and behavioral‑health services, citing national cuts to SNAP and Medicaid that she…