By Pastor L. Gundy – In view of the pending legislation concerning the building of a new Correction Facility and Jail at the cost of a billion or more dollars that will last prayerfully 50 to 60 years, we must be proactive in determining locations because of many reasons. These reasons are to avoid Red-lining Districts, Cost Effective Locations, Transportation and fulfillment of a promise that is wrapped up in an apology on record from the Government of Jacksonville for past sins of inequities and impacts on marginalized communities economically.
With the above stated, this is why the term used by former President Ronald Reagan, “Trust but Verify. The recent resolution proposal by City Councilman J. Peluso may seem unfair to some, but it is a resolution to solidity trust. However, even if the resolution is not considered, the words of the President on behalf of the City Council should be binding, why not simply say “considering our apologies of past errors by the consolidated government, we are committed to finding a location apart from the redlining districts as a matter of fulfilling the apologies from past errors.” This is a win-win for everyone!
Historically, the current Duval County jail — the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility — sits close to the Duval County Courthouse, which is important for inmate transport, court appearances, attorneys, and family access. Jacksonville officials have already begun studying relocation options because the present jail is aging and overcrowded. Just as a short historical note, the current jail downtown now was built on the premise that the previous Jail was old and overcrowded and unfortunately, the arrest rate in Jacksonville began to climb extremely high to justify the building of the current jail and was documented in the book “Search and Destroy by Jerome G. Miller.
It was studied, written and documented with the title ; “Search and Destroy: African-American Males in the Criminal Justice System (1996))” It was called “aggressive order maintenance policing and minor offense enforcement to justify expanding jails, detention systems, and incarceration of Black men. The broader argument was that these policies were less about public safety and more about social control and institutional expansion which can now be seen as the New Jim Crow. (Lets also correct this habit of justification of needs for this new jail)
With this sharing of facts, the book spoke to the issue of criminalizing poverty, in the midst of redlining. Selective enforcement in Black communities; and using minor offenses to funnel people into the jail system (the large bail system) to also keep them in jail longer because they cannot afford an attorney, or did not have bail money, people would lose a job, home and the stability within the home itself.
Now let’s address the new issue and the proposal of City Councilman Peluso in his efforts to ensure that a new jail being considered in Duval County be placed in an appropriate geographical location. Below is an opportunity of a win-win situation even with your experts within the City Government.
From an urban planning, public safety, transportation, and economic-development perspective, these would likely be the strongest locations that you may consider:
- Northside Logistics / Airport Corridor (Best Overall Operational Site)
Areas near:
- Pecan Park Road
- New Berlin Road
- Lem Turner corridor West
- Near existing correctional infrastructure like Montgomery Correctional Center
Why this works:
- Large amounts of cheaper industrial land
- Good interstate access (I-95 and I-295)
- Less impact on downtown redevelopment and tourism
- Easier future expansion
- Better separation from residential density
- Faster regional transport from Nassau, Baker, Clay, and court transport routes
Weakness:
- Longer inmate transport times to courthouse
- Harder for families and public defenders without vehicles
- A need to look closer at new developments North must be considered.
Solution to these weaknesses would be to build a temporary court holding facility near the State Attorney and Courthouse that could house people to cut down on cost of fuel and transportation.
Sheriff Waters and some proposals have already mentioned the Northside as a serious possibility. As much as we may not agree with Sheriff Waters on some issues, this proposal should be seriously considered.
- Eastside Industrial / Talleyrand Area (Balanced Option)
Near:
- Talleyrand industrial district
- East Union Street corridor
- Port and rail infrastructure
- Areas near Clearpath Commercial
Why this works:
- Still close to downtown courthouse
- Industrial zoning already exists
- Easier inmate transfer logistics
- Less conflict with tourism districts than current location
- Potential connection to future criminal justice campus
Weakness:
- Environmental concerns in some industrial parcels
- Could affect Eastside redevelopment momentum which absolutely have to be address and the new Stadium and facilities that surrounds it.
- Westside Industrial Corridor (Strong Land Availability)
Near:
- Bulls Bay Highway
- Commonwealth Avenue
- Existing industrial tracts near Westside Industrial Park
Why this works:
- Large tracts available
- Good highway access
- Potential for integrated sheriff training facilities
- Lower land costs
Weakness:
- Further from courthouse
- Infrastructure upgrades may be required
- Keep It Downtown but Rebuild a Justice Campus (Most Efficient Court Operations)
This would mean replacing the existing jail near the courthouse.
Advantages:
- Fastest inmate transport
- Lower operational transport costs
- Easier access for attorneys, judges, and families
- Integrated justice system campus
Disadvantages:
- Extremely expensive land and construction costs
- Conflicts with downtown redevelopment and entertainment growth
- Poor optics for tourism and waterfront investment
This debate is becoming more important because downtown Jacksonville is rapidly redeveloping around the Shipyards, stadium district, and hotel/tourism projects.
Our recommendations structurally are:
If Jacksonville is thinking 40–50 years ahead, the smartest model may be:
- A modern detention complex on the Northside or Westside industrial corridor
- A smaller downtown holding/processing center beside the courthouse
- Heavy use of virtual court appearances
- Mental health and rehabilitation facilities separated from maximum security housing
- Transit access for families and public defenders
That model reduces downtown congestion while preserving efficient court operations.
Politically, however, location selection will become controversial because communities often resist jail placement due to:
- Property value concerns
- Environmental justice concerns
- Historical inequities in Black neighborhoods
- Economic development priorities
The biggest strategic question is not simply “Where should the jail go?” but: “Should Jacksonville build a traditional mega-jail, or a decentralized justice and rehabilitation system?”
That debate is already beginning nationally.
Therefore, it is respectfully requested that based on past, recent and present issues concerning community bill of rights, now is an opportunity for community and government come closer together and take a strategic and long-term look at what is the best location for a new jail.
Rev. R. Le’Roy Gundy, CEO, True SCLC Florida National 904-415-6877