For over 17 years, Monroe County has promised to fix the dangerous and unconstitutional conditions at its jail. In 2009, a court found the jail to be overcrowded and inadequate, prompting a binding agreement with the ACLU to improve the facility. Yet here we are in 2025—nearly two decades later—with no safe, legal solution in place.

Now, the $225 million jail project has been pulled back indefinitely, leaving incarcerated people and jail staff in limbo. The county council just voted against funding the purchase of land that had already been approved for a new facility. Why? Because Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 1—passed earlier this year—makes it harder for counties to raise or bond money for public infrastructure like jails.

We understand the financial constraints. But ignoring the problem is not a solution. The current jail still suffers from overcrowding, humidity issues, and failing infrastructure. These conditions put both inmates and staff at risk. The longer the county delays action, the more likely it is to face serious legal consequences—and the greater the human cost will become.

This is not about being “tough on crime” or endorsing mass incarceration. It’s about ensuring our county complies with a legal agreement and provides basic human dignity for every person behind bars. Delays and deadlocks have stretched this crisis far too long.

We call on the Monroe County Council and Indiana state legislators to immediately work together to identify a lawful path forward. Whether that means advocating for changes to Senate Enrolled Act 1 or reworking the existing plan to comply with current law, the people of Monroe County deserve a solution now—not another 17 years of waiting.

Sign this petition to demand that Monroe County and the Indiana legislature stop playing politics with people’s lives. Fix the jail. Honor the ACLU agreement. And ensure that no one is subjected to unconstitutional conditions because of legislative gridlock.

Photo via www.ipm.org