MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- The Indiana Department of Correction announced it will delay the closure of the Michigan City Prison beyond its 2027 target date.

State Senator Rodney Pol Jr., a Democrat representing District 4 including Chesterton, spoke out against the decision.

“Hoosier taxpayers have already invested more than $1.2 billion in construction and upgrades at the new Northwest Correctional Facility and were given a clear promise that the outdated Michigan City Prison would close,” said Pol. “Now, instead of following through, the state is backtracking on that commitment.”

Pol continued, discussing how maintaining the current Michigan City Prison would impact the surrounding residential area that had been slated for redevelopment once it shut down. “Keeping it open not only wastes taxpayer dollars but also stalls critical opportunities to bring new housing, new businesses and much-needed growth to a community that borders our National Park,” he said.

Pol added how “Hoosier taxpayers should not be paying for the operation of the federal government,” and that he agreed with former Governor Eric Holcomb's vision for the prison's closure and the surrounding redevelopment particularly considering that this vision came with hundreds of thousands of dollars in READI funds to begin planning for that redevelopment.

“Holcomb had it right," said Pol. "He understood what this meant for Michigan City and for Northwest Indiana. Instead of undermining that progress, Governor Braun should honor the state’s commitments and let our community move forward.”