FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): An Allen County judge has shared her thoughts on building a new jail.
In a letter released by Superior Court Judge Fran Gull to Councilman Kyle Kerley, Gull calls the opportunity a “generational chance” to address the efficient operation of the jail, but said that she does not believe the current concept of replacing the Allen County Jail with a new one best suits the needs of the courts.
Gull said she believes parts of the current jail should be renovated to work in tandem with jail capacity outside of downtown to maintain “the efficient flow of defendants from pre-trial detention to the courts.” The funding concerns over the proposed new jail are now in the hands of the Allen County Council who were given an October 31st deadline to pass funding that would legally begin on January 1st, 2024.
Gull’s full letter can be viewed below:
2 comments
She’s not wrong, Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows the main catalyst for replacing the existing jail is to sell the property for some big downtown project. It’s ridiculous to believe that I can live in a house that’s 150 years old, with a wooden frame, and it’s been upgraded as needed and still in exceptional condition – but the city has allowed a building made with a steel frame, concrete and brick to crumble. Makes you wonder how much was paid under the table for an inspector to claim repairs can’t be made on the current jail. They’re lying to us!
Good for Judge Gull in standing up for common sense. Seen this same movie before in Indianapolis, i.e. place the jail far removed from easy public view , then complain of the “new” danger and difficulty of bringing inmates all the way back downtown, then claim the security risk is so high, that a “new” and expensive court complex be built in closer proximity to the “new” jail.
The courts and jail being located in the center of town so to speak serves the purpose of the pride and transparency of the American judicial system. Wicked forces however prefer to operate in secrecy far removed from public view.