The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is inviting interested parties for lunch and conversation on Justice Reform on Tuesday, November 15th at the Elks Lodge located at 400 N. Walnut St. in Bloomington.

“This important discussion will inform the public on the many complexities of our local system of criminal justice including the need for a new jail facility in Monroe County,” said Eric Spoonmore, the Chamber’s President & CEO.
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What Justice Reform Entails. There will need to be a new justice center to replace the one built in 1985. According to the 2020 Criminal Justice & Incarceration Study conducted by the RJS Justice Services, “The jail facility is failing and cannot ensure consistent and sustainable provision of constitutional rights of incarcerated persons. The report goes on to declare, “daily inmate population exceeded the jail’s functional capacity on most days since 2004 and all days per year consecutively since 2015.” Beyond the new justice center, the study reveals that 75-80% of the daily 250-320 inmates have some sort of mental illness or substance abuse issue.  The current facility does not have the space nor the staff of mental health professionals to address this issue.  

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce held the Community Conversations: Future of Lake Monroe event Friday.

It featured a presentation from Lake Monroe watershed coordinator Maggie Sullivan and a panel discussion featuring on challenges that may impact businesses, tourism and sustainability.
During her presentation, Sullivan discussed the threats facing Lake Monroe and the 2022 Lake Monroe Watershed Management Plan.

“The big thing I wanted to do was give an overview of Lake Monroe and the top issues facing the lake, which are harmful algal blooms, sediment, nutrients and fecal contamination.” Sullivan said in an interview.
She also wanted to discuss the Watershed Management Plan and the steps it outlines for addressing those problems at the source.
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“By making changes up in the watershed so that those contaminants don't get into our water,” Sullivan said.