Delaware County, Indiana

                                                                                                                    Facility Tour - Jan 2021

Why does Delaware County need a new jail?

The current Delaware County Jail is operating beyond capacity and is spending more than half a million dollars to transfer inmates to neighboring counties for incarceration.  Maintaining operations at the current site is not an option.           

Why are the Delaware County elected officials seeking to relocate the jail to the former ASONS building as opposed to other location options around the city?

The Delaware County elected officials engaged an independent engineering firm in evaluating options based on various criteria including cost, construction timing and efficiency of transition. The former ASONS building provided the best outcome for several reasons including:

• Least expensive. This facility will allow for an updated and improved justice center without a tax increase. Rehabilitation of the existing space would require the city to purchase an alternate facility to house inmates during the construction phase which would add substantial and unnecessary costs.
• Quickest timing potential. It is projected that the transition to this location will take the least amount of time because minimal renovations are needed. Constructing a brand-new facility from the ground up would take much longer and other locations evaluated would need far more renovations.
• Most efficient transition. A rehab and update of the existing facility would cause disruption to day-to-day functions of the jail because the court system would likely need to be temporarily relocated. With this option, the transition would cause the least disruption.  

     Best long-term solution for capacity and quality facilities.

What will happen to the court system and processes when the jail is relocated?

Basic legal functions regarding taxes, deeds, and other day-to-day operations involving the general public will remain downtown.  Only major court operations such as hearings or trials will relocate to the new facility.

What will be different about the new Delaware County Justice and Rehab Center versus the existing facility?

The new Delaware County Justice and Rehab Center will provide the following benefits:

• Larger, safer, and more efficient. With the existing facility running out of space and experiencing water leaks and other issues, the opportunity to develop a new facility will allow for additional space that is safer and more efficient.
• More services. Additional services will be available, including mental health counseling, rehabilitation, and training that can help inmates build more productive lives.
• Larger, more efficient courts. The associated courts will allow for the same opportunity to take advantage of space and updated infrastructure.
• Economic development. With the relocation to the southside of Muncie, there is economic development potential with new businesses, such as restaurants and shops, coming in to support the new facility.
• The location will still be within the Muncie city limits with an opportunity to build adjoining city sidewalks. The majority of all other city/county public buildings will remain downtown.
• Redevelopment opportunities. There is an opportunity to redevelop, re-purpose or sell the existing facility to benefit taxpayers. Redevelopment also suits the vision of Muncie’s downtown development and the City of Muncie's $75 million downtown riverfront redevelopment plan. 

If you have any questions about the new Delaware County Justice and Rehab Center, please contact jhoneycutt@co.delaware.in.us.  Please visit this site and page for future updates.      

To download the fact sheet click here-  Delaware County Justice Center & Rehab fact sheet