[Source: “Local statistics reflect a national trend,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Bob Elliott, a former member of the Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and a former member of the Iowa City Council.] One of the arguments against approving the referendum for a new justice center is the incarceration disparity in percentage of racial/ethnic […]
[Source: “Racial disparity is not going to be solved by building or not building a new jail,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Orlando Dial, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Iowa City.] I have worked on issues of disparities in the courts for years, starting in the 1980s when I was the president […]
[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: “I.C. delay doesn’t provide solutions,” Gazette, 1 May 2013, by Barbara Beaumont] The League of Women Voters of Johnson County strongly endorses passage of the proposed May 7 Justice Center bond referendum. The League has long believed that open and responsive local governments should provide their citizens with excellent public services and plan for public […]
[Source: “Don’t just kick the can down the road,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Steve Dolezal] A justice center bond referendum is on the ballot Tuesday, and it’s important that the citizens of Johnson County vote “yes” and support this much-needed building. The current jail was built to house 46 inmates and expanded throughout the […]
[Source: “Need for a new jail has become critical,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Brad Kunkel] I’ve been a deputy at the Johnson County Sheriff’s office since 2001, and worked in the jail for over five years. I can tell you firsthand that the need for a new jail is critical. I can also […]
[Source: “Focus on problem, not peripherals,” Press Citizen, 1 May 2013, by Sue Ellen Crosslea] I have followed discussions about the proposed justice center, and my concern is why so many people are focused on problems peripheral to the project. There are many important services a justice center would offer, and those are being side-tracked. […]
[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 […]
[Source: “New Vote,” Gazette Editorial Board, 28 April 2013] Just a few months after Johnson County voters declined to approve a bond to build a new justice center, the issue is back on the ballot for May 7. Although the proposal has changed slightly in response to critics’ concerns about size, cost and design, our […]
[Source: “Courthouse needs to be updated,” Press Citizen, 28 April 2013, by Paul Burns] The Johnson County courthouse was built at a time when the county’s population was five times smaller and electric lighting was still considered a modern wonder. It is a beautiful building but it doesn’t function well as a working courthouse. We […]
[Source: “Right time to meet Johnson County’s needs,” Gazette, 27 April 2013, by Jim McCarragher] Johnson County’s 112-year-old historic courthouse and 30-year-old jail are outdated, and represent a threat to public safety, security and access to justice. The $43.5 million bond referendum on May 7 would pay for a new, much-needed Justice Center that combines […]
[Source: “Center will improve safety, security,” Press Citizen, 26 April 2013] I’m directing this letter to University of Iowa students; before you cast your vote regarding the justice center, make sure you are basing your decision off of facts and not speculation or hearsay. Despite what you may have heard, the current jail is not […]
