Monroe County sheriff talks jail clean up, shows photos, advocates for new site

It's the little things, like a functioning wall clock or television remote control, that can make the biggest difference in the lives of those incarcerated at the Monroe County Correctional Center.

That's what Sheriff Ruben Marté has been prioritizing in his first few months in office — clean, humane living and working conditions for both the inmates and jail employees. Sometimes, an improvement may be small, like updating the antiquated television set into a flat screen in a common room or picking up trash and debris littering the floors. Oftentimes, though, it has required a long overhaul, like grinding down the concrete floor and resealing it because the years of grime and residue would blacken bare feet after one short stroll.

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At an event organized by the Bloomington Young Republicans, Marté and Chief Deputy Phillip A. Parker spoke with around a dozen concerned residents about ongoing efforts at the current jail.

While jail staff are in the midst of an extensive clean-up operation, Marté emphasized the need for a new building, a plan for which is slowly making its way through the local bureaucratic process.

“Now, are we going to clean it up and keep it clean and sanitized? Yes," Marté said. "But can we do better as a community? Oh, absolutely.”

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While the jail population averages about 160 people, this week's count places the number around 190. Most of the people incarcerated have felony convictions. Parker said most inmates do not stay at the Monroe County jail beyond a year, though there are some exceptions.

Before recent updates, some inmates didn't even have mats to sleep on. In some photos shared by Marté at a January county committee meeting, nine recently arrested men were crowded inside a dirty first-floor holding cell with a urine-filled floor drain. Several were lying on the cement and tiled floor, with two propping their heads on plastic cups as makeshift pillows.

At the Bloomington Young Republicans meeting, Parker asked the attendees to imagine what that sort of treatment would do to a person.

"They had no mats to sleep on. Can you imagine sleeping on a concrete floor for two weeks? You're gonna get a sour attitude with that," Parker said.

According to Parker, staff was having four to six physical confrontations with people incarcerated in that particular area while trying to accomplish minor, routine things, like transferring them to court.

"After we just cleaned it up and gotten them mats, we went for six weeks and didn't have one single instance of a use of force in that one little room," Parker said.

While physical confrontations still happen, it is not at the level that it had been.

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After the Monroe County Council appropriated $40,000 toward sanitization and repainting, staff and inmates have worked together to improve the daily conditions. So far, the intake room, sally port and a cell block have been cleaned and updated, with another cell block soon to be completed.

The J-Block houses those incarcerated who also struggle with mental health issues. Before, the block was dimly lit, with grime-soaked staircases and debris-cluttered cell rooms. Now, the area is bright and clean, with accents of yellow and baby blue on walls and furniture. According to Marté, the sheriff's department consulted with a social worker to choose the new palette, selecting soothing hues.

"We're trying to do different things to try to make it very humane,” Marté said.

In another block, the color scheme of deep blue was selected, with inmates participating in the painting themselves. At the tables, inmates typically play cards together or share their artwork scribbled on a notepad.

"It still looks like a jail, but it doesn't look like a dungeon," Parker said.

After their cell is sanitized, it is now up to the inmate to keep it that way, according to Marté, in line with giving the person responsibility over their own space. Having this new leaf has done wonders for morale.

One small improvement was installing working, digital clocks around the jail.

"You wouldn't believe how important time is for the individual. It's very crucial. That's something that we take for granted," Marté said, noting time is important for inmates to schedule phone calls with their loved ones or attorneys. It also just gives them a sense of grounding while being in a restricted building with little to no natural light to inform them whether it is daylight or nightfall outside.

Before, when everyone was in their cells, screams and kicks against doors would reverberate throughout the building. With these updates, that has gotten better, Marté and Parker said.

“The common theme that they will tell us pretty regularly is we appreciate you treating us like we're human,” Parker said.

Major improvements are still needed. In total, the jail has eight large and two small blocks, in addition to various ancillary spaces that also need cleaning and upkeep.

The laundry room, where low-level offenders work around high-voltage electrical equipment, has a major leak. Right now, the water is caught by a draped tarp, with a hose at the bottom that runs the water into a sink. That set-up is only a temporary solution for a large problem. In a showering room, used by people who work with food, the ceiling is rusted over, with the air and steam filtration system severely dysfunctional.

Marté said staff will continue cleaning while also keeping an eye on the plan for a new site, which is still desperately needed.

Sheriff: Bigger jail to add more programs, not more people

When Marté brings up the topic of a new jail, he said he's often given a side eye from people. When someone brings up a bigger jail, the typical argument is raised — are you wanting a bigger space so you can incarcerate more people?

That's not the case at all, Marté said.

"At the present time, we want to provide more programs, (but) we don't have the space. Think about it. We just don't have the space. With a new facility, we'll have the space for better programs," Marté said.

For example, more kitchen space would help inmates gain work skills that they can then translate to life outside once they are released. Expanding medical care is also a priority.

Currently, the jail is limited in what it can provide. The current site has one classroom and one worship service space, which could be expanded with more room.

If those incarcerated are treated well in a safe environment, with more opportunities to better themselves or sharpen life skills, they are less likely to return into the correctional system, Marté said.

Reach Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté speaks about unsafe jail conditions