Allen County Jail

Allen County is increasing its staff at the county jail again after the County Council approved payroll funding for five new officers. Chronic understaffing was one of the issues tackled in the federal court order concerning jail issues.

The request to take depositions comes before the next hearing on the federal court order addressing jail overcrowding at the Allen County Jail. The council recently voted down a proposed funding structure for a new jail that the county says is the way to correct the overcrowding and other issues.

The Allen County Council voted down a .2% local income tax rate increase that was meant to fund building the new Allen County Jail.

The county was commended for the progress.

More than a year after a federal judge ordered Allen County to address overcrowding at the Allen County Jail, the inmate population there is on the decline.

Allen County officials say it is impossible to fund building the new county correctional facility without a tax rate increase. The County Council is now considering what the rate increase will look like.

The owner and the Allen County Commissioners came to a purchase agreement on 140-acres in the 2900 block of Meyer Road in Fort Wayne

Those issues were the subject of a federal court order from earlier in the year.

After a federal court ordered Allen County to fix the living conditions and overcrowding problem at its current jail, the commissioners hired an architect to help them determine where the best location would be to build a new jail.

If purchased, the site would be at part of the former International Harvester complex.