In the video below, both candidates for County Attorney and all four candidates running for County Supervisor speak out in favor of the need for a Courthouse Annex. The video above is an excerpt from the Johnson County Attorney & Supervisor Candidate Forum on Monday May 12, 2014.
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 […]
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: “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: “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: “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 […]
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.
[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: “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: “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: “CrimeStoppers supports center,” It has been known for some time that the Iowa City population is fast growing; however, we all may have become complacent as to the generally law-abiding behavior of our community. In 2007, the residents in a west Iowa City neighborhood were brought up short with a home invasion, burglary and […]
