Jail Expansion Does Not Mean Safer Communities: Why I'm Voting NO in the Aug Primary for a Jackson County Jail Rebuild

In January of 2024 the Jackson County Commissioners voted 6-3 (with the only two Democrats casting votes of yes to the republican led proposal) to put a previously defeated 2022 proposed Millage on the August 6th 2024 Primary for a Sheriff office/County Jail new construction as opposed to it going back to the voters in November for them to decide. This same proposal was already defeated in November of 2022. By voting this past January to add it to the August 6th primary, the Commissioners have de facto legally suppressed the voice of the general voters, who do not turn out for Primaries, not understanding that in this instance they have bypassed the November election and if the people do not show up this August 6th they will miss their chance to vote NO to this proposal.

Sheriff Schuette's proposal once again fails to offer an adequate and viable plan to assure this new proposed construction will produce community safety and serve the needs of the community whose citizens will use, occupy and be impacted by a new Jail.

The Sheriff has failed to seek out the expertise of the criminal justice advocacy community and its constituency, who are primarily people of color and others who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and whose expertise in advisement and consultation on Jails and the impact of incarceration would serve to assure that the planning of the operations/programming/treatment policies and practices as well as building designs regarding spaces of confinement are taken with their advisement and implementation. This expertise assures fidelity to the aims and objections of law enforcement while utilizing the research of scholars and the lived experiences of people formerly incarcerated when building or redesigning institutions of confinement and incarceration.

Historically, the traditional design and institutional practice of Jail operations and programming has contributed to recidivism and the perpetuation of trauma, for those housed in confinement and impacting also those working as corrections staff. (Source:ICJIA | Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority https://icjia.illinois.gov/researchhub/articles/trauma-informed-and-evidence-based-practices-and-programs-to-address-trauma-in-correctional-settings). This new porposal offers nothing different and thereby will only produce an outcome of people not receiving the support they need while coming in contact with the county jail system and as a result our community is not safer and the Sheriff department fails to serve and protect our needs. Best Practices that address trauma and those very institutional practices that contribute to trauma for those housed in confinement and staff working in institutions of incarceration must be priority when seeking to plan and build a facility that will be used to incarcerate people from our community. Because Sheriff Schuette and his leadership staff have failed to consider these best practices, our community owes them no obligation to help them build another institution of torture and of the refueling of mass incarceration.

On Friday Aug 2nd join me Live on Facebook for a candid discussion about this important topic where I will highlight my reasons for voting NO and why I encourage the community to also vote NO to the proposed Millage for a new downtown Jackson County Sheriff Office & Jail.