1,000 Attend Hearing on Center's Closing

JACKSONVILLE - Earnest Jones’ 48-year-old son, Carl, has lived at the Jacksonville Developmental Center for eight years.
Carl Jones, who has severe brain damage, is happy at JDC, and it’s hard for him to adjust to new surroundings, the elder Jones told a hearing held in Jacksonville Monday night to discuss JDC’s proposed closure.
"If you close JDC, where would he go?" Jones asked about his son.
Earnest Jones was among roughly 100 people -- elected officials, Jacksonville residents, union leaders, advocates for people with disabilities and tenants of JDC -- who spoke during the three-hour-plus hearing.
About 1,000 people, most of whom opposed the closure, attended the hearing, which was conducted by the legislative Commission on Governmental Forecasting and Accountability.