WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, January 5th, 2022.
Later in the program, WFHB News Director Kade Young speaks with Care Not Cages Member Sydney Foreman about the group which opposes the construction of the new jail. More in the bottom half of our program.
Also coming up in the next half hour, we revisit some of the latest Community Justice Reform Committee meeting where local officials have been planning the new jail proposal.
Monroe County Councilor Jennifer Crossley Dissents during CJRC Meeting
The Community Justice Reform Committee met last month to continue their proposal to build a new Monroe County Jail.
At the time, County Councilor Jennifer Crossley said she didn’t feel comfortable moving forward with the Fullerton Pike property after hearing from experts and community members, marking the first tangible sense of dissent with the new jail initiative.
Monroe County Commissioner Lee Jones responded that she had heard complaints about the process of building a new jail, but she hadn’t heard many solutions.
Monroe County Circuit Judge Kara Krothe asked Jones why the county couldn’t renovate the current building rather than build a new jail. Jones replied that the current jail has structural problems.
Judge Krothe said the process of building a new jail would take several years. She questioned why the jail couldn’t be improved in the meantime. Jones retorted that ideally, the current jail would be renovated.
During public comment, local resident Sydney Foreman gave testimony on behalf of Care Not Cages which opposes the new jail.
The rezoning of the Fullerton Pike location came before the City Council on December 21st. It was there that the city council unanimously denied the proposal to rezone the property from mixed-use employment to mixed-use institutional. That puts the new jail in a state of uncertainty.
The Community Justice Reform Committee will meet for the first time since the city council denial on Monday, January 9th at 4:30 p.m. in the Monroe County Courthouse.
Feature Report:
In today’s feature report, WFHB News Director Kade Young speaks with Care Not Cages Member Sydney Foreman about the group which opposes the construction of the new jail. Foreman also discusses an event Care Not Cages will host titled Gather Against Monroe County Jail Expansion from 3 to 5 p.m. on January 9th at the Courthouse Square. We turn now to that interview.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Noelle Herhusky Schneider and Kade Young, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Kade Young.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
