CLARK COUNTY — Clark County leaders said they know where they want to put a new jail, but some people are already trying to stop it.
Springfield and Clark County leaders held a joint work session Thursday night to discuss the planned jail and get public feedback.
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The 50-acre property is located south of State Route 334 along State Route 72 in the City of Springfield.
“The discussion tonight, it sounds like they kind of had a decision made, and we’re defending that decision rather than really questioning whether that decision was going to go through,” Tabitha Randall said.
Randall lives along SR-72 and across from the 50-acre plot.
“Biggest concern, the inmates being released- where are they going? What are they doing? My house in particular is up on a hill, and it’s very visible. And I think they’ll go straight there,” she said.
Randall was one of dozens of neighbors with concerns who sat in a forum and listened to Clark County Sheriff Chris Clark explain why he thinks this site is ideal for a new $125 million jail and sheriff’s office.
According to his presentation, the new jail will provide more than 450 beds for inmates.
Clark said building at this location will help deputies get to calls on the western part of the county faster.
Randall has created a petition aimed at putting the new jail somewhere else.
It already has 250 signatures.
“It’s only been a few days since I started the petition, and I haven’t done a ton, so there’s a lot more that I could do to get signatures for the petition, so I think it’s very possible to do that,” Randall said.
Clark said a transportation company will take released inmates anywhere within the county, and they are still figuring out logistics.
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