I was born and raised in Iowa City and have always considered it home. I spent 33 years in law enforcement in Cedar Rapids, although I have been a Johnson County resident for most of my life. In 2011, I became involved with what the needs were for a Johnson County Justice Center building — […]
[Source: Iowa City Press Citizen, 24 October 2012] The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved the following language to appear on the Nov. 6 ballot: “Shall the County of Johnson, State of Iowa, issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of $46,800,000 for the purpose of erecting and equipping a […]
VOTE YES FOR JUSTICE CENTER NEWS RELEASE For Additional Information: Amy Correia – jcjusticecenter@gmail.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Vote Yes for Justice Center hosts North Liberty Open House IOWA CITY, IA —Vote Yes for Justice Center will host an open house from 6 – 7PM on Monday, October 22, 2012 in the library at the North Bend […]
14 October 2012 at 12:14 am by Jennifer Hemmingsen Source: The Gazette People can be reluctant to tax themselves for something big and expensive, like a jail, if they don’t see any benefits for themselves. But Iowa City’s justice center opposition has included a faction with a different objection: They don’t want the county to […]
County manages ‘revolving door’ of re-offending October 5, 2012 Iowa City Press-Citizen [source] By Tarra Bannow There’s a familiar “slippery slope down” that Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said tends land people in jail over and over again. Often, it begins with a minor charge — possession of marijuana, for example. A person then […]
[Source: Press Citizen, 14 October 2012] I’d like to use this space to answer some questions people have asked me about the proposed Johnson County justice center. • No. 1. Why do we need a new facility? The justice center is designed to provide more courtrooms and administrative space and to increase the size of the local […]
October 5, 2012 Iowa City Press-Citizen [source] By Lee Hermiston Donald Baxter doesn’t want to be the voice of opposition to the proposed Johnson County Justice Center. He has a fulltime job, family and other things that keep him busy. But, because no one else has stepped up, Baxter has taken on the responsibility of […]
The critique of the Justice Center ballot issue mostly has been a critique of the larger justice system itself. It’s a critique I largely agree with. Too many people in our society are punished for the wrong reasons, and too many of the incarcerated are black or brown or poor. It’s also a local problem, […]
Guest Opinion published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen October 1, 2012 The $46.8 million bond issue on the Nov. 6 ballot in Johnson County is a public safety issue. It proposes a secure Justice Center combining the sheriff’s office, jail and court-related offices, all attached to the existing Johnson County Courthouse. Our historic courthouse […]
Neumann Monson Architects has provided the architectural drawings for the planned Johnson County Justice Center. Explore the images below – click to enlarge. Click here for the PDF of the architectural drawings (right click and save to download).
Written by Lee Hermiston Iowa City Press-Citizen Since 2001, nearly every county that borders Johnson — Linn, Iowa, Washington, Cedar and Muscatine — has built a new jail or justice center or has added on to and improved its existing jail. And Johnson County Board of Supervisors chairman Rod Sullivan says taxpayers here have helped […]
Iowa City Press-Citizen July 14, 2012 Reach Lee Hermiston at 887-5413 or lhermiston@press-citizen.com. Over the past two years, the county has spent nearly $500,000 to refurbish the exterior of the Johnson County Courthouse by cleaning the brick mortar and installing new steps. The interior is a different story. The building has no metal detectors, sinking […]
Iowa City Press-Citizen July 14, 2012 Our View Earlier this year, the Press-Citizen Editorial Board identified 10 issues to watch in 2012. Here is the fifth in a series of editorials analyzing how those issues look nearly six months later. Building the case for a Justice Center * What we said six months ago: “Johnson […]
[Source: “New Tailgating Rules Will Mean More Citations, Fewer Trips to Jail to Prevent Overcrowding,” KCRG TV9, 23 August 2010] IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa’s recent announcement to take a tougher approach in enforcing the law during tailgating and home football games has drawn concerns of potential safety issues and overcrowding in the […]
PRESS RELEASE JOHNSON COUNTY MH/DD JAIL ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM MARKS 1-YEAR OF OPERATION 12 September 2006 The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has accepted the first annual report on the County’s MH/DD Jail Alternatives Program and voted unanimously to move the program from pilot to permanent status. Dr. Mindy Lamb, Johnson County’s Mobile Crisis Coordinator, reported […]
