A suite of rooms at the Porter County Courthouse on the square in Valparaiso is being converted to serve as a comforting space for crime victims and their families while meeting with prosecutors and between court sessions.

The Porter County Council unanimously approved an additional $25,000 Tuesday evening in addition to monies already appropriated for the conversion of five rooms. “We can observe and tell you what we see with our victims,” but not what it’s like for them not to have any privacy, said victim advocate Ona Torres of the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mark Spejewski, who joined her in addressing the council on behalf of the Molley Lanham Foundation, does know what it’s like. “Six years ago today we experienced the murder of our daughter,” he said, thanking them for the opportunity to explain the needs of victims. “There’s just nowhere to go when you get a 15-minute break,” he said of periods of recess his family had experienced.

They either had to stand around in public hallways or go to nearby restaurants. Soon, a main space, soft interview room, family grieving room, and comfort rooms will allow victims a place to rest between court sessions or to meet with prosecutors. Work will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by May 1.

Torres said children as young as 4 have to meet with staff in preparation for deposition on such difficult subjects as sexual abuse. The rooms will receive new floors and wall coverings, as well as new furniture. “They make the colors of the room very soothing, very calming,” said Council President Andy Vasquez, R-4th.

The prosecutor’s office is joining with the Molley Lanham Foundation to remodel the space. “We’re not actually displacing anyone,” Porter County Facilities Director Joe Wiszowaty made clear. The Caring Place will co-facilitate the space.

“It’s much, much, much needed,” said Council Vice President Red Stone, R-1st, who said he’d been briefed on the project by Porter Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Buitendorp who had been advocating for the project as a long-time deputy prosecutor before her appointment to the bench last month. “We should have done this five years ago,” he added. “I felt like it was more of an interrogation room.”

“We’re going to take away the cold, institutional feel,” Wiszowaty added.

In other prosecutorial business the council voted 5-to-1, with Stone dissenting, and Councilman Andy Bozak, R-At-Large, absent, to use an excess of salary dollars saved by Buitendorp’s departure as a prosecutor to give small raises to other deputy prosecutors. “It’s important for me to create an environment in the prosecutor’s office of good morale,” Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann told the council.

He said the work they do on high-level felonies has increased significantly in volume and complexity. He said his office sees at least one internet crime against children every week. Recently it’s been double that.

“I’m struggling with this because we just came out of budget and I support the prosecutor’s office more than anybody, believe me,” Stone said.

Former Democratic Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, a retired nurse practitioner, was approved 5-to-1, with Stone dissenting, as the newest member of the Porter County Board of Health. The vote was put off last month because County Attorney Harold Harper was ill and not present to weigh in on the question of whether the new appointee had to be of a specific political party.

Tuesday he reported that Indiana code designates that no more than four members of the Board of Health may be of the same political party. Because there are already four sitting Republicans “we are bound by statute to appoint a Democrat,” Harper said.

Councilmen Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, and Greg Simms, D-3rd, immediately refreshed their motion and second from last month to appoint Graham. Stone then said the application period should have been extended, given the delay. “I think it sets a bad precedent putting a politician on the board,” he said.

Simms countered that not only was Graham’s application in by the deadline, but “at that time Sylvia was the only one who had applied so why would we open it back up? It’s already been delayed by a month.”

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.