According to Fast Company, the city has been organizing a strategy to transform its jail for months and has tapped architect Deanna Van Buren to lead the designing of the project.
Van Buren, who co-founded the nonprofit design firm Designing Justice + Designing Spaces in 2015, has advocated for communities taking money from the criminal justice system and investing more funds into new systems of justice — which describes a system known as the divest-invest model.
The Designing Justice team sent project plans for the building site to city officials earlier this month.
Community members who have worked on the project’s task force said replacing the jail with more equitable opportunities will make the city safer.
The city is expected to choose a final proposal this year, however, increased attention on the state's criminal justice system may expedite the process, Fast Company reports.
