[Source: “Justice Center Early Voting Kicks Off,” KGAN-TV CBS 2, Wednesday, April 10 2013, 08:59 PM CDT] IOWA CITY, IA (CBS2/FOX28) — Early voting kicked off in the special election for the Johnson County Justice Center on Wednesday — the second time the issue has come before voters in six months. The first vote on this […]
[Source: “Early voting begins for Johnson County Justice Center,” KWWL-TV Channel 7 NBC, Written by Jason Epner, Multimedia Journalist – bio | email] JOHNSON COUNTY (KWWL) – Wednesday’s cold, damp weather led to a slow start for early voting, but the two campaigns for a new, $43.5 million bond issue to build a Johnson County Justice Center are warming […]
IOWA CITY, IA (CBS 2/FOX 28) — Kingsley Botchway says they’re attempting to turn anger into solutions “People were getting upset…and the council did something about it,” Botchway said. His diversity committee was tasked with exploring issues facing minority populations. The first target – public transit. “People feeling that they couldn’t get from point A […]
[Source: “Johnson County justice center opponents focus on spork arrest,” The Gazette, 9 April 2013, by Gregg Hennigan] Spork the jail. That’s the new rallying cry of opponents of the proposed Johnson County criminal justice center. It comes after a Johnson County Jail inmate was arrested Sunday for breaking her plastic spork – which is […]
Source: “Johnson County justice-center plans draw community scrutiny,” Daily Iowan, 4 April 2013] Note: Fact boxes have been inserted to correct inaccuracies or misconceptions in the story below. * * * Johnson County justice-center plans draw community scrutiny BY QUENTIN MISIAG | APRIL 04, 2013 5:00 AM It was originally billed as a casual Wednesday […]
[Source: “Johnson County Justice Center Would Make More Room for Jail Diversion,” GGAN-TV CBS 2 Iowa, 3 April 2013] IOWA CITY, IA (CBS2/FOX28) — Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness read the list of charges for inmates in the Johnson County Jail on a given day, trying to make a point. “Next one, robbery, first (degree). […]
[Source: “Talk centers on how center would affect diversion programs,” Press Citizen, 3 April 2013] Johnson County’s case expediting program — which identifies jail inmates who can be safely released before their next court date — lowered the jail population by an average of 6.1 inmates per day in fiscal year 2012. “We have staff […]
[Source: “Report Reveals Benton County Security Concerns,” By Jill Kasparie, Reporter, KCRG, 3 April 2013] VINTON, Iowa – A new report noted concerns with the Benton County Courthouse security system. This comes as anxieties grow across the country. Wednesday in West Virginia, someone gunned down a sheriff in a courthouse parking lot. Last month, two prosecutors […]
[Source: “Before you cast a vote, tour the county jail, courthouse,” Press Citizen, 31 March 2013, by Shams Ghoneim] The county’s 32-year-old jail was designed with a capacity of 46 inmates — a number that reached 92 when jail officials decided to double bunk. The inmate daily average, however, has exceeded 170 and is reaching 200. […]
[Source: “Human Rights Does Humane Thing,” John Deeth Blog, 20 March 2013] Jail opponent Jeff Cox’s attempt to get the Iowa City Human Rights Commission to oppose the May 7 justice center referendum backfired when the commission voted not to take a stance. Indeed, at least one member seemed inclined toward the yes position: Commission […]
[Source: “Public to vote again on justice center,” Press Citizen, 14 Feb 2013] The public will be voting a second time on the proposed justice center. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to put the $43.5 million justice center bond referendum before the public during a special election May 7. The proposal is […]
[Source: Gazette] The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is ready to set a May 7 election date for another vote on a proposed criminal justice center. The supervisors said Thursday that they would vote next week to officially set the election date and the ballot language. County officials last month indicated they favored the May 7 date, […]
[Source: “Johnson County to Bring Justice Center Back to Ballot,” KGAN-TV CBS 2 Iowa, 3 January 2013] IOWA CITY, IA (CBS2/FOX28) — Johnson County is planning to bring the vote for a new justice center back to the ballot, but this time, with a smaller price tag. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is tentatively […]
IOWA CITY, IA (CBS2/FOX28) — The Iowa City Police Department is growing. “We’ve got two positions that were approved above our normal compliment of 80,” says Chief Sam Hargadine. Two new officers will soon patrol Iowa City streets, but the two officers aren’t just anyone. “They have to be combat military veterans,” Hargadine said. With […]
[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 […]
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 […]
