TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Blue Ribbon Commission, determining if a new Pima County jail is needed, is holding a new meeting Monday asking for public feedback.
This comes after last week's public feedback meeting was ended in just 4 minutes. Despite it being open to the public, asking for public feedback, the protesters — organized by No More Jail Deaths — stayed outside, playing instruments like drums, horns, and an accordion outside.
Mark Evans, the Pima County Communications Officer, was at the meeting giving a presentation.
He said the protest got so loud and disruptive that he couldn't hear a woman trying to talk directly into his ear.
After, a few minutes of waiting, the commission decided to regroup elsewhere, so they could discuss what to do. They are required by their charter to report to the county administrator within 180 days, and rescheduling the meeting is not ideal.
Evans said it quickly became clear the protesters were not leaving or quieting down, and Chairman Danny Sharp decided to adjourn the meeting and reschedule.
When some committee members tried to leave, Evans said the crowd threw things at them, and a protester also stood in the door, blocking them.
Within a few seconds, a scuffle broke out between the commission member and the person blocking the door.
Evans said he did not hear about any injuries. We reached out to Tucson Police. They did respond to a disruption, but no report was filed.
The new meeting is being held virtually because of scheduling conflicts.
Original Article
Opponents said the $400 million project wouldn't stop people from dying in custody, and the money should be repurposed to keep people out of jail.
Sheriff Nanos said who goes to jail is up to the courts, not the sheriff. He added the new jail would be designed so corrections officers can better monitor inmates and reduce deaths.
Read both arguments here: Pima County seeking public feedback on proposed new jail
The public feedback meeting will continue virtually from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21 allowing for 75 minutes of public comment. You will have to register in advance by calling 520-724-8801 or emailing johanna.encinas2@pima.gov.
You can click here to join the meeting. You do not have to download the Webex app. Instead, you can close the download window and click "Join from your browser" on the bottom of the window.
Webinar number: 2486 449 8825
Webinar password: gS8AEmYfP37 (47823693 from phones and video systems)
You can also submit feedback online by clicking here.
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