Henry County Commissioners — at the pleading of their County Council counterparts – put a plan in motion Wednesday to at long last pick up the can that has been kicked down the proverbial road for more than a decade: the aging and ailing Henry County Jail.

After a series of motions, counter motions and amendments that would have made Robert and his rules of order dizzy, the plan ultimately approved includes:

• advertising for an “RFI” – request for information – due noon Wednesday, Dec. 18. The RFI asks interested companies to provide basic information on how they would design, build and operate a new correctional and rehabilitation facility that would house more than 300 offenders.

• the RFI would include suggestions for a potential location for the new facility as well as alternatives like using existing or temporary buildings.

• additionally, the RFI would offer information regarding the number of people required to operate a new facility as well as estimates on the potential cost and per diem charges if the facility is a joint operation with another or other counties.

• cost estimates on alternatives to incarceration.

• an estimated time frame for completion of the project.

POSSIBLE USE OF FORMER YOUTH CENTER

As they approved plans to seek the RFI, Commissioners decided to take matters of overcrowding into their own hands by approving a letter to Youth Opportunity Center seeking permission to use part of the Henry County Youth Center to house female offenders currently at the jail.

“It’s time we move ahead in having somebody evaluate that facility,” Commissioner Ed Yanos said. “Somebody preferably who can give us a detailed estimate of what it would cost to change the facility if we come to an agreement with the YOC.”

Sheriff Ric McCorkle said if the former youth center could be utilized partially for female offenders, the jail population – currently at 92 – would be reduced to a much more manageable level.

And, the only thing needed, according to McCorkle, would be taking a page from President Donald Trump’s immigration playbook.

“In my opinion, it’s as simple as building a wall,” McCorkle said. “If we took 64 women out of the jail and put them in that facility, I don’t have to farm anybody out right now. I would be operating three buildings, but the jail will be all male, and the transition center will be all male with the possibility of reactivating the work release center.

“Those are possibilities I believe we can make happen – and I don’t think it’s going to take $2 million to do that,” McCorkle concluded.

TRU HARBOR IMPACT

It’s all contingent, however, on one very important caveat – ensuring the 16 girls, ages 11 to 18, who are part of the Tru Harbor program for victims of sex trafficking, are not adversely affected.

Commissioner President Kim Cronk said the Indiana Department of Child Services spent $300,000 to bring the former youth center up to standards required for housing the girls there now. The county agreed to a six-year contract with DCS to house them there.

But if things work out and part of the former youth center can be used, Henry County’s legal problems where jail overcrowding is concerned could be greatly relieved.

“It would be the most secure facility we have in the Henry County Jail System,” County Councilman Chad Malicoat said. “It will be more up to date. Its design is more of a pod style versus. linear hallways. There’s a centralized control center where you can see the entire landscape of incarcerated individuals in one room, nothing like we have over here. It should easily address a lot of the issues you’re talking about.”

DOLLAR SIGNS

Malicoat added that some financing has been put in place to help. The county council recently passed a 0.2 percent income tax that will start money flowing in January. Malicoat added that the council has set aside $600,000 of a $2 million bond to be used by the Commissioners to address overcrowding at the jail.

But tension about county finances led to some animated exchanges between County Councilman Kenon Gray and Commissioner Cronk.

Because of the upcoming holidays, Cronk had originally supported making the RFIs due in February. To Gray, that was unacceptable.

“It’s been ten years,” Gray said. “Ten years. There was a YOC estimate 10 years ago for $5 million. Now the estimates we’re getting are between $20 and $25 million because this was kicked down the road. We’ve got to quit kicking it, because there is a 7.5 percent increase in construction costs every year we delay. And there’s no sense for there being three months to come up with an RFI. An RFI could be done in a month.”

Cronk said the RFI haste wouldn’t be fair to the taxpayers.

“You’re going to minimize the number of people who might be interested,” Cronk said. “I’m not sure that’s fair to the taxpayers.”

But Gray snapped back.

“What’s fair to the taxpayers is not paying $50,000 a month to Elkhart,” he said.

PAYING THE BILLS

County Auditor Debbie Walker interjected during all the talk about RFIs that money is extremely tight.

“Would you please tell me, where am I going to come up with the money to pay Elkhart?” Walker asked the commissioners.

According to Walker, one bill has already arrived for $11,000 and another one is on the way for $48,000. That’s why she, too, opposed waiting until February to receive RFIs.

“I just want you to know when you’re extending this out, I have no money to pay these bills,” she said. “Ric is submitting them and I have to pay them. I really don’t want Elkhart County sending them back to us and I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t pay our bills.”

So that led Commissioners to move up the RFI deadline to Dec. 18. They also decided to move ahead on possibly purchasing temporary pods on the east side of the jail.

They also mentioned a special meeting may be called before the end of the year to keep what is now a ball – not a can – rolling in the right direction.
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