After months of study, planning and discussion, Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen and other public officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for the expansion of the Hamilton County Jail. The $13.5 million construction project should help alleviate issues in a facility built for 296 inmates that in 2017 averaged a population of over 380. The expansion will provide an additional 120 beds in 11 cell pods with 84 prefabricated steel cells consisting of two- and four-person cells. In addition, the construction adds space for physical activity, classrooms and a medical support area.
“We’re busting at the seams,” said Bowen. “The jail was built 25 years ago to hold 296 inmates. We’re currently pushing 400 inmates. I would expect that situation to get worse before it gets better.”
During a groundbreaking ceremony, Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen, flanked by Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman, explained the need for additional jail space due to overcrowding. (Reporter photo by Jeff Jellison)
The current jail facility, located on Cumberland Road in Noblesville, was completed in 1993 under former Sheriff Dan Stevens and was a significant improvement over the old jail. Renovations in 2008 under Sheriff Doug Carter’s administration provided a new booking area, sallyport, kitchen and classrooms, but only added a few extra beds.
Due to House Bill 1006, effective January 2016, inmates with a balance of 365 days or less in the Indiana Department of Corrections are now housed at the county level. Even with the conversion of the former Juvenile Secure Detention facility into a women’s jail, boosting available adult space to over 400, the increase in the inmate population from DOC inmates as well as an uptick in local arrests put a strain on existing housing options.
In addition to housing inmates, numerous programs are held at the Hamilton County Jail to reduce the recidivism rate and to assist inmates in being productive members of the community. In 2017, 50 male and 19 female inmates participated in the High School Equivalency class with 24 students receiving their certificates. A Transition to Work program was established to provide a career coach and employment contacts for individuals nearing release from jail. The local WorkOne agency partnered with the jail for a $425,000 LEAP grant which provides case managers on site at the jail to assist inmates with transitions to life outside jail. The jail hosts numerous opportunities for inmates to receive counseling, medical care, spiritual and emotional support and other programs in an effort to sustain positive growth for those incarcerated and wanting to change. Hamilton County also participates in an Evidence Based Decision program as well as a Pre-Trial Release program to assist with reducing the jail population while ensuring those individuals requiring incarceration remain in jail.
Construction on the jail is expected to take around a year to complete with inmates housed in the new wing sometime in April 2019. A second phase of the project could add an additional 136 beds. County Commissioners are hopeful the second part of the expansion can still be completed this year but are waiting for additional funds.