Hogsett discusses Marion Co. need for new jail
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett visited 24-Hour News 8’s studio Thursday morning.
Wednesday at Hogsett’s very first State of the City Address, he said Marion County needed a new jail.
He spoke with Lauren Lowrey about the issue in more depth.
“The jail we now have is inadequate, it’s antiquated and unsafe. The State of the City Address last night focused on a comprehensive criminal justice reform for all of Marion County. Now a new jail is part of that, clearly. But, we need to start thinking and use a data driven comprehensive approach to criminal justice in our city. For example, in our current jail 30 percent of the inmates suffer from some sort of mental illness. 85 percent of the inmates in the jail suffer from some sort of addiction or substance abuse. Those folks and offenders that are non-violent and low level risk, need to find treatment whether it be mental health facilities or whether it be addiction related services and not just languish in the jail at an incredible cost to the tax payer.”
Watch the full interview in the video above.