Two central Indiana jails are being pushed to the limits as they fight overcrowding.
The Marion County Jail is being pushed to its limit, Marion County Colonel Louis Dezelan said at a City Council meeting Wednesday.
He said his staff is underpaid and overworked, and something needs to change.
"We especially wanted to enlighten them on the fact that sheriff's deputies are paid considerably less than in other law enforcement agencies," Dezelan said. "And that there is a high incidence of mental illness in the jail."
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He's hoping to avoid stacking inmates up in the small cells -- something that's already happening in Hamilton County.
The Hamilton County Sheriff is pleading with county officials to allocate almost $12 million into expanding the facility.
Sheriff Mark Bowen said the jail is equipped to handle 296 inmates, but houses 345 on an average day.
The women and men must also be separated, leading to more problems.
Of the jail's six housing pods, one is dedicated to women. Maximum security offenders have been moved to an entirely different building -- straining officers and their reaction time to fights.
"Problems arise, tensions flare," Bowen said. "People get on each other's nerves. That's typically what happens in this kind of environment. ... There are a lot of young men, a lot of testosterone, so therefore a lot of jockeying."
With the 25-year-old building maxed out, the county's population continues to grow.
"We had 165,000 people in Hamilton County at that time," Bowen said. Today we are over 300,000."
The larger the population, likely the more the offenders. His proposal is a $11.9 million expansion.
Bowen said it won't cost taxpayers any extra -- the county already has the funds.
The council is expected to vote on the proposal next week.
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