VIGO COUNTY, Ind – Operating the Vigo County Jail is getting much more expensive due to a federal lawsuit.
On Thursday the County Council’s three-member annual budget committee unanimously recommended hiring 24 more jailers at a cost of $1.64 million annually.
Even if all positions were hired today the new employees would not be able to start work until they completed a minimum of 80 hours of job shadowing and other training.
The public safety tax included in the county’s local income tax increase is projected to raise $2 million next year and that will be used to help pay for the new positions.
All of this is due to a federal court order to address overcrowding and other issues at the jail.
County officials will have to submit a report to the court and then appear before the judge November 13th to review progress made on her orders and on progress being made to build a new jail.
County commissioners have said that they want to build a new jail on the old International Paper property on Prairieton Road but that will require a zoning variance.