BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WRTV) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana announced Monday it has filed a lawsuit against Monroe County over “unconstitutional” jail conditions they claim the county has left untreated for decades.
The complaint, filed in federal court on Friday, was submitted on behalf of two people incarcerated at the jail.
The ACLU says in 2008, it filed a previous class action lawsuit that challenged jail conditions. That case resulted in a settlement in 2009, though the agreement was reportedly “repeatedly extended while county officials promised a long-term solution.”
The problems remained, and the settlement expired in June 2026 after “the county again failed to move forward with a new facility.”
“This new lawsuit is necessary,” the ACLU said in a release.
In describing the “unconstitutional conditions,” the complaint points to several factors, including but not limited to:
- Violence spurned by overcrowding tensions.
- Broken plumbing, crumbling walls, and mold.
- Limited access for inmates with disabilities.
- Inmates forced to “endure extreme temperatures.”
- Inmates not safely separated based on individual medical or security needs
Legal Director of the ACLU of Indiana Ken Falk said in a release that the conditions consistently threaten the health and safety of those housed at the facility.
Monroe County officials have known for years that the jail is overcrowded, unsafe, and falling apart. They have had nearly two decades to find a lasting solution, yet people are still being held in unconstitutional conditions that threaten their health and safety.
Studies have documented that the jail is dangerous and inadequate, and the Sheriff has been candid about its many problems.
However, the Sheriff’s role under Indiana law is limited, and the county officials who could solve this problem have not listened.
Online court records show a summons has been issued to the Monroe County Council, though the council has not yet responded.
