ALLEN COUNTY, Indiana (Release) – The Allen County Board of Commissioners issues this joint statement following County Council Meeting this morning, July 20, 2023:
Today Allen County Council voted “no” to Ordinance 2023-07-20-06, which would have modified rates for the Local Income Tax (LIT). We are extremely disappointed in Council’s decision. By turning down the ordinance, the county will not collect any Correctional or Rehabilitation Facilities LIT. Without that additional revenue, we cannot move forward with the construction of a new Allen County Jail.
While the county may have the resources to fix some of the crumbling infrastructure within the current jail, it does not have the ability to address long-term issues that plague the building. Allen County is the subject of a judicial order demanding it correct unconstitutional conditions at the jail, the most heinous of which is chronic overcrowding. There has not yet been a year since it was built in 1981 that it met the 80% capacity rating considered the standard best practice in correctional facilities.
There is a saying that ‘today’s dollars are cheaper than tomorrow’s’. By putting off the decision to fund a new jail at this moment in time, County Council will ultimately spend more taxpayer dollars. We will continue to pursue long-term solutions to the civil rights issues of inmates as well as unsafe conditions for staff. It is required by the lawsuit, and it is the right thing to do for our community.
1 comment
SO let me get this straight, Criminals Violate the Civil Rights of their victims, then they go to Jail where the Criminal’s “Civil Rights” must be maintained….and now we all are victims that must pay for the Criminals “Civil Rights” to be maintained….
Why do they need to have 5 Star accommodations in Jail? Lets make our Jails like Mexico…I’ve never been to Jail or one in Mexico, but I can only imagine since I’ve always heard “you don’t wanna goto Jail in Mexico”. Why can’t the policy of society be “we are going to make the conditions in Jail so terrible that everyone is motivated to stay out of Jail”…?
If this is a “Civil Rights” issue, Seems like they need to change the Laws.
At some point, our elected officials (Yes, that means you JUDGE) need to stop catering to Criminals.
With everything that comes out of my paycheck, I take home 60% of all I make, and I’m not GIVING one more penny as we are all WAY OVER TAXED!!!!