by Sylvia Perry
Jacksonville officials are taking the first step toward relocating the city’s aging downtown jail, approving a $750,000 study to determine where a new facility could be built and what it would cost to move one of the largest detention centers in the Southeast.
The study, recently authorized by city leaders, is expected to examine potential locations across Duval County and provide recommendations for replacing the current jail — the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility, which sits along East Bay Street on valuable downtown waterfront property. The facility, opened in 1991 after years of planning, was once considered one of the most modern jails in the country and at the time was the fifth-largest jail in the United States. It became affectionately known as the “Glover Hilton” for crime fighting Sheriff Nat Glover who oversaw the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office from 1993-2003.
But more than three decades later, city officials say the facility is showing its age and is increasingly out of step with Jacksonville’s development plans.
The 13-story detention center was originally designed to house a little more than 2,100 inmates and to consolidate prisoners who had previously been held in multiple facilities around the city.
Today, however, the jail frequently holds around 2,600 inmates, pushing it beyond its intended capacity and forcing corrections officials to manage overcrowding with temporary measures.
The building’s size and location once made it an efficient hub for the criminal justice system, situated close to downtown courts and law enforcement offices. But city leaders now argue the same location has become a major obstacle.
Jacksonville’s downtown riverfront has become some of the city’s most valuable real estate as redevelopment projects spread across the urban core. The jail occupies a large parcel near the St. Johns River that economic development advocates say could eventually be repurposed for housing, offices or entertainment.
Beyond its location, the facility itself has faced years of maintenance and operational challenges.
Reports have described deteriorating infrastructure inside the building, including mold on ceilings, flooding during heavy rains and frequently malfunctioning elevators in the multi-story structure.
The jail also lacks key modern features such as a full infirmary, even though many inmates have significant medical or mental health needs. Aging plumbing systems have created cascading problems as well, with clogged toilets sometimes affecting entire floors of the building.
Officials say the structure’s vertical design — once considered innovative — now makes maintenance and inmate movement more complicated compared with modern campus-style facilities.
While many leaders agree the city eventually needs a new jail, the biggest hurdle is the price.
A city committee studying the issue has estimated that building a new campus-style jail complex could cost as much as $1 billion, depending on the size and features included.
That price tag has raised questions about whether Jacksonville can afford the project, particularly as city leaders warn that changes to state tax policies could reduce property tax revenue in the coming years. If those projections prove accurate, the city could face difficult choices between funding major infrastructure projects and maintaining core services.
Even supporters of relocation acknowledge the financial challenge.
“This is not something the city can do overnight,” several council members have said in recent meetings, noting that planning, financing and construction could take many years.
Searching for a new home
The newly funded study is expected to examine potential sites large enough to house a modern detention campus.
Among the locations that have been discussed publicly:
-
North Jacksonville near the Montgomery Correctional Center, where the city already operates a prison complex and has land available for expansion.
-
Former retail or commercial properties, including the site of the closed Regency Square mall, which some planners say could provide enough space for a large facility.
-
Other undeveloped parcels in Duval County that could accommodate a sprawling campus with room for courts, medical services and inmate programs.
Each potential site has sparked debate. Residents in suburban neighborhoods have expressed concerns about safety and property values, while criminal justice advocates argue the new jail should include expanded mental health and rehabilitation services.
City officials stress that the $750,000 study does not commit Jacksonville to building a new jail immediately. Instead, it is meant to provide detailed planning information so policymakers can decide whether and how to proceed.
For now, the aging downtown facility continues to house thousands of inmates while serving as a reminder of how Jacksonville’s justice system — and its skyline — has evolved since the jail opened more than three decades ago.
Whether the city ultimately moves the jail or renovates the existing structure, leaders say the issue is unlikely to disappear.
“We have to figure out what the next generation of corrections in Jacksonville looks like,” one council member said during recent discussions. “The current building simply wasn’t designed for the demands we face today.”
One thing is for certain, nobody wants a jail in their backyard.