[Source: “Johnson Co. Supervisors Discuss Needs for Courthouse & Jail,” KCRG, 14 May 2013, by Hayley Bruce] IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is going back to the drawing board to fix immediate safety and security needs at the jail and courthouse after a $43.5 million bond issue for the justice […]
[Source: Johnson County Democrats Facebook Group, 8 May 2013, Comment by Peter Hansen, reposted with permission] Although some of the “No” group are Republicans opposed to nearly all government spending — and seem to think that we should replace taxes with bake sales — many others are very thoughtful, intelligent, informed, and well-intentioned people, e.g., […]
I seriously do not know what the anti-Authority/anti-Justice people think that they have gained? The police are going to continue arresting people at the same rate they are now. The only thing they accomplished is guarantee that those arrested will be shipped like cattle to other counties. That those working and visiting the courthouse will […]
[Source: “Who Really Won,” John Deeth Blog, 8 May 2013] It feels kind of weird to, for the second time, come out of the justice center vote with significantly more votes than the other side, yet lose. Clearly, a majority of the community is convinced of the need for this plan. Maybe even a super […]
[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: “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: “Laws should be changed, but justice center is needed,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Bob Welsh, chairman of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging.] Racial disparity and the incarceration of non-violent criminals in our jail are valid but separate issues that will not be addressed by the May justice center vote. The […]
[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 […]
[Source: “Our View: Vote ‘yes’ and keep addressing concerns,” Press Citizen, 30 April 2013, by the Press Citizen Editorial Board] As a newspaper editorial board, our natural inclination is to side with those who are fighting against the power structure. To fight for those who have documented how about 40 percent of the people in […]
[Source: “County Dems support justice center bond,” Press Citizen, 30 April 2013, by Mike Carberry] Johnson County desperately needs to upgrade the quality of our justice infrastructure. We need a justice center that is safe, disability-accessible and secure on both sides of the judicial bench. We do not have this now. We are one of […]
[Source: “Time for county to get it right: vote ‘yes’,” Press Citizen, 30 April 2013, by Tom Baldridge] I find it interesting that the letters to the editors about Tuesday’s special election tend to follow the same path. If the writer is in favor of the bond issue, the facility under discussion is called a […]
[Source: “Justice center first, then other issues,” Press Citizen, 29 April 2013, by Katy Hansen] It is not a good idea to hold a new justice center hostage to a whole series of other issues such as incarceration rates, racial disparity and violation of rights. The solutions to space problems are not the same as […]
