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According to a study conducted by the county, the vast majority of Johnson County citizens who responded are in favor of a new county jail and sheriff’s office.
According to the study, which was developed with help from the Center for Social Science and Innovation at the University of Iowa, 74% of participants would be in favor of issuing bonds to finance the construction of a new public safety building.
750 of the 3,800 persons who received the survey replied. This 19% response rate is greater than what the researchers had anticipated.
Support increased to more than 80% after respondents were informed about the state of the existing facility. Additionally, over 80% of those surveyed are in favor of the county and the Iowa City Police Department sharing a joint law enforcement facility.
A feasibility study estimates that a joint facility would cost $106 million. Because the feasibility study was not finished during the survey period, survey participants were not given access to that price tag.
Because the needs are genuine, the outcomes are positive. The police department needs extra space, and the county jail is overcrowded. The benefits of a combined facility are obvious, but no deal has been reached to explore it.
With county voters rejecting jail upgrades in 2012 and 2013, a possible shift in public sentiment is also desirable. Instead than requiring 60% of the vote as in previous bond referendums, a joint facility would allow a bond issue to pass with more than 50%.
More than 50% of voters supported the county’s plan in both cases, but it did not meet the higher 60% requirement for approval.
Therefore, it is long overdue for the new facility. Currently, the Linn County Jail’s inmate housing costs are covered by Johnson County. Each moved inmate initially cost Johnson County $60 per day. However, the deal calls for an annual fee rise of 4%.
The expected cost of transporting jail convicts to Linn County in Fiscal Year 2025 was $438,000. Gas and car maintenance costs were not included in that estimate.
However, positive polls does not guarantee that a jail referendum will pass easily. We urge the county to continue educating the public about the need, the plan, and the cost to taxpayers since the specifics of the plan will important.
The results of the survey seem to suggest that it’s time to give it another go. Considering the requirements of both departments, a joint facility makes sense. Transparency and fact-based voter education will increase the likelihood of passage.
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