By: Cora Grant 5/13/26
As of this year, Monroe County is building a new jail. It has sparked some curiosity, controversy, and concern with many people wondering and pondering about what will become of Monroe County. The county is refusing to give out more information, but this is here to close that gap.
The plan for what the jail will look like
The new jail is being built in North Park, off Highway 46. It cost 11 million dollars to just buy the plot of 52 acres. It's going to cost over 230 million dollars to just build the jail without including the price of buying the land. Which would mean it would cost over 240 million dollars for the new jail. They are starting production this year and are expecting to finish production by late 2029.
Many find the production to be quite unappealing. Many people find it frustrating that they are spending that much money on jail, and not on anything beneficial to the environment or people in need. They think it should be spent on helping the homeless and preserving natural habitats and species. Many people wish that Monroe County would share more information about the jail other than where it is being built. Avery Boots, a current events student, states,” I really wish we were able to know more about it, but Monroe County is just keeping us in the dark about it until it is finished.”
This is what the current jail looks like
This is the Monroe County Courthouse
Some people were confused because Monroe County made it sound like the courthouse people would be moving to the new jail, and many people found that to be very unsafe for very important people in our county. But as of recent news from Monroe County, that will not be happening. Avery Boot states, “ it will be right in front of where if someone is driving into Monroe County it will be the first thing they will see is the jail, and that won’t put a good impreI don’t like where they are building the new jail becausession of the area in their head.” As said, people still do not like the idea of building the jail, no matter what the reason is.
But we will have to wait and see about the new jail if it will be great, which it most likely will be, or if it won’t be a good thing that we should have decided against. At least we’ll know is that Monroe County will be a better place.