Marion County Jail Overcrowding Leads To Inmates Sleeping On Floor

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Marion County Sheriff's Office says at least 16 inmates at its Indianapolis jail have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor in holding cells due to overcrowding.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Katie Carlson tells television station WRTV the "jail overpopulation crisis is ongoing," but she notes two spikes in the jail population in recent weeks resulted in mattresses being used on the floor. Officials are working to deal with the issue.

A memo from Sheriff John Layton says the jail reached "crisis" level, or 95 percent of capacity, in early 2016. Earlier this month, the station says the jail was over its capacity of 1,135.

Some other Indiana jails have reported overcrowding. Jail officials say a factor is a state law that sends low-level offenders from state prisons to county jails.

In July, the City-County Council approved funds to design and plan a new community justice campus in the Twin Aire neighborhood southeast of downtown Indianapolis.