Jail Expansion

Jail expansion must include and prioritize mental health services.

The Vanderburgh County Commissioners have approved 2.2 million dollars worth of funding to improve services at the Vanderburgh County Jail – and yes, it includes mental health services.

During my primary campaign, I pledged not to support any jail expansion plan that did not adequately address mental health and substance abuse treatment. That was my stance then and will continue to be my stance into the future. The allocation of 1 million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Local Recovery Funds towards the construction of a mental health wing as part of an overall jail expansion plan is certainly a huge step in the right direction.

An additional 1.2 million dollars of the ARPA funding will be used to upgrade critical security infrastructure at the jail, much of which dates back to the jail's original construction nearly 20 years ago. This funding will allow our confinement officers to monitor inmates more effectively and deploy manpower more efficiently, improving the safety of our facility – and our officers – as a result.

I will continue to advocate for a more therapeutic and efficient jail expansion as I meet with Sheriff Dave Wedding along with our county council members and commissioners.

My discussions so far truly give me reason for continued optimism that this new expansion and upgrade will address some of the shortcomings our current facility suffers from.