Jacksonville residents urged officials to block any new jail from neighborhoods with a history of redlining. Some Council members said it’s too early to rule out.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A contentious debate over where a new jail could be built in Jacksonville drew a packed crowd to City Hall this week, as residents urged leaders to keep the facility out of historically Black neighborhoods shaped by decades of redlining.
Redlining is the discriminatory practice of denying or limiting loans, insurance and other services to people in certain neighborhoods, often based on race or ethnicity.
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Community members and local activists filled council chambers, voicing concerns that a new jail could be placed in areas that have long faced disinvestment.
“You as a president can say that this is something that we’re not going to do,” Pastor Gundy told council members.
Isaiah Rumlin, president of the NAACP’s Jacksonville branch, questioned whether leaders would accept such a facility in their own neighborhoods.
“Would you want this in your community?” Rumlin asked. “It will not be placed in a predominant African American community.”
In response to those concerns, Councilmember Jimmy Peluso introduced a resolution this month that would have prohibited any portion of a new jail from being built in historically redlined communities. The proposal aimed to put protections in writing following years of inequitable development patterns, he said.
The measure was initially rejected in council committees but returned for a full City Council vote Tuesday night, where it ultimately failed 5-12.
Residents who supported the resolution said the issue goes beyond the location of a single facility.
“This resolution is deeper than the location of a jail,” said community member Katie Hathaway. “It is about trust, equity, and whether we are willing to say that every neighborhood in Jacksonville deserves dignity, opportunity and investment.”
Others pointed to what they describe as a pattern of placing large or undesirable facilities in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
“We’re tired. Brentwood is the dumping ground for Jacksonville. And we deserve better,” said Lydia Bell, who also cited previous developments in her community, including a forensic lab and morgue.
Peluso echoed those concerns, saying similar promises have been made to communities in the past.
“We’ve seen this a lot in this city,” Peluso said. “We’ve said to these communities before, ‘Don’t worry.’ Why would it? And then it does.”
Some council members supported the measure, arguing it would establish clear boundaries.
“I’m going to support this because we do need some guardrails in place,” Councilmember Reggie Gaffney Jr. said.
But the majority of council members said the proposal was premature, noting that potential jail sites have not yet been identified.
“This legislation does nothing to protect the community. It’s premature,” Councilmember Ken Amaro said.
Councilmember Ron Salem said it was inappropriate to make a decision before reviewing potential locations.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to make these decisions until we have those three sites,” Salem said.
Councilmember Rory Diamond criticized the resolution as symbolic but said he also opposes placing a jail in historically Black neighborhoods.
“This is performative … but I’m not supporting this going into a historically Black neighborhood either,” Diamond said.
Despite the vote, many residents said they plan to remain engaged as the process moves forward.
“Let’s meet collectively to come up with a collective and positive outcome,” Pastor Gundy said.
City leaders expect a consultant report early next year outlining potential jail sites and say community input will be part of the decision-making process. The mayor’s office said the jail is unlikely to be built in historically redlined neighborhoods.