JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Community members took their questions directly to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters during the first of a series of town hall meetings about policing across the city.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office wants to learn what issues matter to people in every neighborhood. Tuesday night, one question raised was about why the Duval County Jail needs to be moved.
Sheriff Waters had a simple answer.
“The jail has outlived its life,” said Waters.
He described the jail’s condition, noting mold on the walls and elevators so old that they don’t make parts for them anymore.
“I think because of the condition that we find ourselves in now, we have to address it,” said Waters.
But for neighbors, their main worry is keeping it far from their homes. The city has not said where a new jail would go, but for months, people have protested preemptively to keep it out of specific neighborhoods.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Action News Jax spoke to Northside resident Xavier Green back in February. He told us he would like to see more schools and not a brand-new jail.
“You see a prison literally by your school or when you look out the window and that sort of confirms that the system doesn’t really believe in you,” Green said.
Sheriff Waters said that they will go out into the community, tell them what the plans are and get their input.
And as they look for a location, space is a priority.
“I don’t want to go 10,11,12 stories in the air again,” said Waters. “It’s just way too much for me to deal with. I don’t like that. We want to create a two-tier system where ceilings are really high. We have cells on the bottom, cells on the top and we will be spread out. That’s the thought process.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
