SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A newly purchased piece of land on North Section Street in Sullivan, Ind. could soon serve as the site for the new county jail.
The land, which is roughly 15 acres, was purchased for $381,000 by the county. A bidding process is currently underway to determine final costs before construction begins.
County Sheriff Clark Cottom said the main reason this particular piece of land was chosen is for potential expansion and to ensure overcrowding is an issue of the past. While available options of property were limited, Cottom said this land both ensures the safety of the community and meets all state requirements.
First opened in 1983, the Sullivan County Jail has recently experienced overcrowding. Its inmate intake even once hit 200% capacity.
Attempting to break ground on a county jail is a process nearly three years in the making.
“We’re going to be an improvement to the neighborhood and a safety to the neighborhood,” Cottom said. “We feel that piece of ground is going to be adequate in size for the next generation.”
The new jail could house between 180 and 190 inmates at full capacity, Cottom said. The 15 acres of land would also house the County Sheriff’s Office while also leaving room for potential expansion.
Cottom said classrooms will be built to offer faith-based and rehabilitation programs for inmates dealing with substance abuse and domestic violence.
“If we don’t provide a space to rehabilitate folks, its just going to be a re-occurring, re-evolving process and any jail you build is going to be full,” Cottom said.
Per state requirements, any jail facility must be connected to city utilities. To ensure this requirement is met, over $2 million of American Rescue Plan funding, along with state funds, will go towards sewer extension.
Sullivan County Commissioner Robert Davis said in the future, small businesses may also connect to this line.
“The qualifications early on were very simple. There was only like nine or 10 things you could use them for and they were to help the public,” Davis said. “Which the sanitary sewer and infrastructure help the public, it wasn’t so much for running the government.”
MyWabashValley.com did reach out to Sheriff Cottom on Wednesday about where the current bidding process stands and he said more specific numbers will be available next week. However, the original cost of this project was estimated to be $35 million.
