Johnson County Justice Center

Dubuque council votes to eliminate jail time for simple misdemeanors

In October 2013, an assessment of the Johnson County jail average daily incarceration rate showed a steady decline over the past four years from an average of 162 down to a daily average of 139. On 12 May 2014, it was reported that the average daily incarceration rate for Johnson County has continued to drop and […]

[Source: ” Arrest, jail stats show racial disparity in Johnson County, Officials say the imbalance is more complex than race and is not unique to Johnson County,” Press Citizen, 30 August 2013, by Josh O’Leary] The numbers are black and white, but the solutions are anything but. The percentage of black inmates in the Johnson […]

Guidelines for Care for Transitioning from Jails and Prisons for Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders Hosted by SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, this webinar will introduce the “Guidelines for Care for Transitioning from Jails and Prisons for Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders.” Developed in collaboration with the Council of State Governments Justice Center and […]

[Source: “Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates,” Justice Department, 12 August 2013] * * * The following is a transcript of Attorney General Eric Holder’s remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates on 12 August 2013 in […]

Selected Quote “We’re also partnering with community-based agencies in a big way, including some who have been our critics in corrections… That’s where our offenders will spend most of their time, is in the community, and we need to be supporting those communities in their programs to reintegrate offenders.” ~ A.T. Wall, Director, Rhode Island […]

[Source: Justice Department Press Release, 12 April 2013] * * * Justice Department and Council of State Governments Identify States Cutting Correction Costs While Reducing Recidivism and Improving Safety Bi-Partisan Efforts Result in Major Justice Reforms The Department of Justice and the Council of State Governments (CSG) highlight 17 states that have cut corrections costs […]

[Source: “Vote ‘yes’ then volunteer at jail,” Press Citizen, 6 May 2013, by Patricia Knox] For four years I have been a volunteer at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in the Oakdale Prison Community Choir. In the winter of 2009, I took the basic workshop offered by the Alternatives to Violence Project that was […]

[Source: “Common sense says vote ‘yes’ on new jail,” Press Citizen, 6 May 2013, by Mike Quinlan] In the past few months we have read many different opinions about building a new jail for Johnson County. As with many political issues, both sides can find a way to use statistics to their advantage. “Who do […]

[Source: “Editorial: Vote ‘yes’ on the Justice Center,” Daily Iowan, 6 May 2013, by the Daily Iowan Editorial Board] In November 2012, when the original Johnson County Justice Center was presented to the public for a vote, the Editorial Board recommended that the voters reject the bond referendum. The original center narrowly failed to garner […]

[Source: “Johnson County justice center: If not now, then when?,” Press Citizen, 5 May 2013, by Dave Parsons] On the bright side, it appears that everyone now agrees on the need for updated and expanded courthouse and jail facilities in Johnson County. Yet somehow there are a number of factions with competing agendas (some mutually […]

[Source: “Make courthouse ADA-compliant,” Press Citizen, 3 May 2013, by Karla Smith] I am so proud to live in a community that feels it is important to have a safe and easily accessible courthouse that meets the guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act. A courthouse with enough courtrooms to be able to give our citizens […]

[Source: “Incarceration rate lower than average,” Press Citizen, 3 May 2013, by Greg Johnson] I believe that many in our community have the misperception that Johnson County tends to lock up more people than most other counties. In fact, we have one of the lowest incarceration rates in the nation. We’re also well below the […]

[Source: “New jail for 195 inmates is immediately necessary,” Press Citizen, 3 May 2013, by John Whiston, a Clinical Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law.] Every year, my students represent about 100 people charged with indictable misdemeanors. I would be one of the first to say that over-incarceration of non-violent offenders is a real […]

[Source: “Proposed justice center would be highly efficient,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Lonny Pulkrabek, sheriff of Johnson County.] In November of 2005, Johnson County received a report from the Durrant Group that looked at this project and looked at four different locations: • Site 1 was at the existing courthouse and gave a cost […]

[Source: “Additional space at the jail would help expedite cases,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Jerri Allen, the executive officer of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.] The Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, its employees and volunteers serve individuals sentenced to probation/parole. In Johnson County, staff provides community supervision to […]

In the video below, John Whiston speaks about Jail Alternatives and the efficiency of a unified Justice Center. John is a Clinical Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law.

In the video below, Ron Berg, the Director of MECCA Services, discusses the benefits of drug and addiction programs to help reduce incarceration. “We don’t think incarcerating and charging people with legal offenses is necessarily helpful when you’re looking at their drug use. We ought to be getting people into treatment. In terms of being cutting […]