JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's part of the Jacksonville skyline - the Duval County jail standing at 16 stories right near the water.
Inside the tower, lies issues that have jail leaders and City Council members thinking it's time for a move.
During meeting Wednesday, a special counsel discussed the deteriorating conditions at the jail.
Jail officials told city councilmembers about issues with flooding during storms, HVAC issues so severe they have fans spread around the jail, constant plumbing issues and overcrowding.
"It is not safe. It is not secure," said City Councilman Michael Boylan who wanted to see the issues at the current jail for himself.
"I went there for the purpose of understanding the process and how it worked. I came away from that tour with one thought - the urgency of this work."
One jail official mentioned they have 2,600 inmates at the moment with space for 2,100, so they've put a third bunk in several dorms to fit 75-85 inmates where there should be 50.
$250 million is set aside in the capital improvement plan for a new jail.
A large question is if that money couldn't just be used to salvage the current jail.
"The short answer to the question is no. The current jail is just not designed for what we need," said City Councilman Rahman Johnson.
"I think it's clear a 16-story facility is not the way we need to operate," said Boylan.
That $250 million for a new jail isn't set in stone, in fact, Boylan already thinks it'll cost more than that.
As for where the jail is going to go, Boylan wants that to be one of the last conversations, after the committee decides what a new jail needs.
"It will be relocated. Whatever we build will be a different facility," Boylan said. "Whether that's downtown or other places is yet to be determined."
Boylan says the chief judge of the district court told him the jail is "an incident away from a federal court order."
The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville sent First Coast News this statement:
"It is reprehensible that the Duval County Jail is being mismanaged such that the Chief Judge of Florida's 4th Circuit Lance Day indicated that jail is 'an incident away from a federal court order.' We must not only improve conditions in the jail and prevent further deaths, but also reduce the need for people to be in jail in the first place."
A spokesperson for Mayor Donna Deegan also responded stating:
Mayor Deegan is supportive of the City Council’s special committee that is studying a potential move of the jail. She has visited the jail and is aware of the issues with overcrowding. With the special committee’s work just kicking off, the mayor is waiting to receive their final recommendations before commenting on specific budgets or timelines.
The committee will look to make some immediate repairs to last for a few years until a new jail can be built.