Solving Our Local Public Safety Crisis:
Criminal Justice Facilities Are Part Of The
Problem – And Part Of The Solution
Criminal Justice Planning Council - November 2005
The Campaign For A Safe And Adequate
Criminal Justice Center
Indianapolis Bar Association/Marion County Bar Association
Justice Center Task Force
John Kautzman & John Maley
Today’s Goals
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Outline How Marion County’s Current Criminal
Justice Facility Is Unsafe, Inadequate, & How It
Contributes To The Current Public Safety Crisis
Review Possible Criminal Justice Center Solutions
Highlight Multiple Financing Options For A Safe &
Adequate Criminal Justice Center
Propose A Resolution For This Criminal Justice
Planning Council To Pass, Recommending That CityCounty Council Proceed In Accordance With
Statutory Mandate And Begin Location, Design, &
Financing Planning For A Safe & Adequate Criminal
Justice Center
Our Perspective
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We represent nearly 5,000 local legal professionals,
including attorneys, paralegals, prosecutors,
defenders, and judiciary
IBA & MCBA are non-partisan, & have longstanding
commitment to promoting safety in local courts
IBA Security Task Force created in 1998
IBA & IBF implemented pilot security program in 2001
Launched Justice Center Task Force in 2002
IBA volunteer attorneys have committed thousands of
hours and nearly $100,000 in IBF funds to local
criminal justice issues in recent years
We’ve Been Listening
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We’ve Reached Out To The Public
To Elected Leaders
To Community Leaders
To Business Leaders
To Media
And As A Result We’ve Refined & Narrowed
Our Focus To Criminal Justice Center Needs
The Current Crisis
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Two Primary Risks
Release Of Violent Criminals Due In
Part to Insufficient Number Of Courts
70,000 Criminals Circulating In The Building
Annually With Victims, Jurors, Witnesses,
Litigants, Taxpayers, Voters, Prosecutors,
Defenders, Judges, & Children
How Did We Get Here ??
Justice Center Video
This Impacts
More Than 500,000 Residents
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The Building Authority tracked non-employees
entering the building at peak time.
Over 1,300 non-employees entered the building at the
9am peak hour, while over 1,200 entered the building
in the hour surrounding the 1:00 peak hour.
Over half a million people come and go in the building
annually, for marriage licenses, tax payments,
government business, jury service, court matters, etc.
Resultant
Early Release Problem
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Inadequate Space, Judges, & Resources,
Coupled With Jail Cap, Means Release Of
Dangerous Felons
5 Murders So Far From Early Releases
Personal & Property Crime Rates On The Rise
This Impacts Housing Choices (Indy or
Surrounding Counties)
Attracting & Retaining Business In Indy
And, Thus, Our Tax Base
Long-Term Solutions Have
Been Studied Extensively
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Examples:
1977 Space Acquired for Separate Building
1991 Marion County Governmental Space Study
1994 Indiana Supreme Court/Court Security Guidelines
1997 Indiana Supreme Court Caseload Study
1998 CourtWorks Space Study
1999 Court Needs Assessment
2002 Justice Center Task Force Study
2003 Indiana Courthouse Security Minimum Standards
2004 Crim. Justice Planning Strategic Plan
All Taxpayer-Funded & Private
Studies Over 15 Years Agree On
The Only Feasible
Long-Term Solution:
Separate Criminal Justice Center
Facilities Are Necessary For This
Unique, Dangerous, But Vital
Public Safety Function
What Are The Standards For Safe
& Adequate Court Facilities?
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No reasonable person disputes that Marion
County must have safe criminal court facilities
But we do not have safe and adequate courts
today, and have not for far too long
Indiana’s Courthouse Security Minimum
Standards dictate that interior circulation
system of the public, employees, and
prisoners should be separate
This is impossible in the City-County Building
State Law Requires the CityCounty Council To Act
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I.C. 33-33-49-17(b): The city-council shall
provide suitable courtrooms, suitable and
convenient jury rooms, and offices for the
judges other court officers and personnel, and
other facilities as may be necessary.
Yet suitable space has not existed for decades,
to the risk of the public
Safe & Adequate Criminal
Justice Center Solutions Exist
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Our Location & Facilities Subcommittee Has
Studied Available Options
Downtown
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E.g., New Criminal Justice Center Adjacent To
Existing Jail – Land Purchased In 1977
Could Also Include Arrest/Processing And/Or
Additional Jail Space
Or New Justice Center, With New Jail, In SE
Quadrant Of Downtown
Or Offsite Criminal Justice Campus
Examples Of Recent Facilities
How To Finance This Necessary
Investment In Public Safety
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Safe and adequate criminal justice facility
would likely cost $5 - $13 million in annual debt
service as a capital project (est. $79 mil – $195
mil facility)
Depends On What All Is Included:
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Criminal Courts
Criminal Justice Agencies
Arrest & Processing
Pre-Trial Detention
Jail Or Additional Jail Beds
Financing Options
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Rental Savings (moving agencies back into vacated
space in City-County Building) (est. $.5 - $1 mil)
Efficiency Savings (reduced transportation costs from
70,000 prisoners in chain gangs, reduced case delays,
shorter jail stays) (est. $1 - $2 mil)
User Fee/Filing Fee Enhancements ($.75 - $1 mil)
EDIT, TIF, Sale-Leaseback, & Other Financing Tools
COIT Funds
Increasing COIT Cap If Necessary
$16.53 Property Tax Enhancement
Costs Of Not Moving Forward
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Public Safety Jeopardized – In The Building & On
The Streets
Continued Inefficiencies At Taxpayer Expense
Limited Law Enforcement Resources Unnecessarily
Drained On Chain Gangs Rather Than In Our
Neighborhoods
Ongoing Payment Of Unnecessary & Increasing
Outside Rent To Private Landlords
Competitive Disadvantage In Attracting & Retaining
Business = Resultant Loss In Property Tax Base
Conclusion
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As the Mayor said in his State of the City, “No local
elected official can be missing in action! No more
excuses! It's time to end the crisis of early release of
criminals!”
As Sheriff Anderson recently said, “Public Safety
Expenses Are An Investment, Not A Burden.”
The Question Is Not What This Costs To Do
But What Will It Cost This Community Not To Make
This Necessary Investment In Public Safety?
So What Can This Body Do?
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Criminal Planning Council Has Shown It’s Ability To
Positively Impact Public Safety & Criminal Justice In
Our Community
Council Has Appropriately Taken Short-Term Steps
But Long-Term Issues Need Planning Now Also
We Propose That The Criminal Justice Planning
Council Endorse Our Proposed Resolution
And Recommend To City-County Council That A
Professional Location, Design, & Financing Analysis
Be Undertaken In 2006
What We’ll Do
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We Continue To Bring The Clout Of More Than 5,000
Attorneys – Leaders In Their Neighborhoods, Civic
Groups, Churches, Parishes, Synagogues
The Task Force Will Continue To Support This &
Other Public Safety Initiatives
We’ll Share Our Work Product With The Council
We’ll Continue Our Public Outreach
We Won’t Rest Until Long-Term Solutions Are In Place
The Public Understands Public Safety Costs Money
For More Information
www.indyjusticecenter.org