INDIANAPOLIS -- More than a dozen inmates in the Marion County Jail are currently sleeping on the floor.
The facility, located at 40 S. Alabama Street, has 1,168 inmates while its capacity is only 1,135, according to October 11, 2017 records.
Currently, the jail has at least 16 inmates sleeping on mattresses on the floor in holding cells, according to Katie Carlson, spokesperson for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a memo from Marion County Sheriff John Layton, the jail reached “crisis” level, or 95 percent of capacity in January 2016.
Jail officials blame part of the spike on a new law, House Enrolled Act 1006, which reduced sentences for some low-level offenders who are now serving time in county jails rather than state prisons.
As of October 2017, the Marion County jail has 304 such offenders.
“The jail overpopulation crisis is ongoing,” said Carlson. “However, there have only been two population spikes over the past several weeks that have resulted in beds on the floor."
Carlson said the situation is temporary.
“Inmate Records and Inmate Classification are working together to move inmates to the bunks of other inmates who are being released,” said Carlson.
Records show Marion County is paying dozens of other counties to house Marion County inmates including Blackford, Pike and Martin counties.
The city of Indianapolis is looking to spend $650 million price tag for a new criminal justice center, including $365 million for a new jail.
Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the city had selected the former Citizens Energy coke plantin the Twin Aire neighborhood to house the new justice center.
The city will have to conduct an environmental rehabilitation of the site before construction of the criminal justice center could begin.
RELATED | City releases $650M estimate for new criminal justice center, other renovations
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