The Jail

There has been a lot in the news and flying around the rumor mill about where I stand with the jail. Here are my thoughts and stance on the Johnson County Jail.

The jail is in serious disrepair. It was one of the first buildings I toured when I was running for county Supervisor in 2022, and I left the tour with a headache and a sick feeling in my stomach--it is a disgrace that the conditions of the jail have gone unaddressed for so long. It is not a place anyone should be incarcerated in or where our staff should be working. Period. The end.

And--a $90M+ facility should not be the only option on the table. I'll be honest: the process by which we got to a $90M+ jail design was flawed. I have extensive experience working in an engineering firm; I own a planning firm that has worked with architects on downtown revitalization projects, designing brick and mortar facilities, trails, parks, and many other projects. What I know is that it is essential to have multiple stakeholders involved from the jump, because once people have a design in front of them, it is what they understand as THE DESIGN. There is little room for debate and reconsideration. I tried multiple times to ensure that more than the sheriff's department was involved with the design process. Looking at previous jail studies and designs, it's customary to gain input on the design of a new jail from formerly incarcerated individuals, their family members, organizations who serve inmates, members of the court system, etc. Why? Because HOW something is created is just as important as WHAT is created. The more stakeholders with lived experience that are involved in the design process, the better informed the design is.

What was the methodology? According to Shive Hattery's report, "the consultant team interviewed law enforcement and jail staff stakeholders to explore and document system-wide operations that affect the size and composition of the law enforcement/jail population, conducted multiple site visits, gathered and analyzed quantitative data and participated in meetings with the sheriff’s assigned personnel (p.10)".

I have repeatedly reiterated that the data in the report indicates a DECREASE in incarcerated individuals (see graph below). And as far as their final recommendations, at the top of the list: Recommendation #1: Maintain and Continue to Reduce Avoidable Jail Intakes. (p.22)"

As you can see, the average daily population in the jail has never exceeded 110 in over a decade and is on the decline. The original report asked for 240 beds. I fought for 120 beds. I was focused on making sure that our jail was 'right sized' according to the data.

But we, all five of us on the Board of Supervisors, made an error from the jump: we asked the Sheriff what he wanted--and provided ZERO budgetary constraints or guidance. This is not responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

We should have said: What improvements can be made with $45M?

That's on all of us on the Board, myself included, and I am here to ask us to change course. Do we need a jail that doesn't have plumbing and mechanical issues? Yes. Do we need a jail that allows for humanity in an inhumane system? Yes. We haven't discussed the numerous tragedies of a carceral system that is born out of the enslavement of Black people in this country, but that is something that must be admitted. Again and again.

Surely, a right-sized facility could be built for far less than $90M. What if we invested $45M in addressing upstream causes of poverty and incarceration, like safe, decent, and affordable housing and then $45M on an improved jail? I have a full proposal on how to spend money on affordable housing--and as someone who has worked on this issue for over a decade, I can assure you that we ALREADY KNOW how we can spend money on affordable housing to improve our community.

I recently voted 'no' on the county pursuing potential land for the jail. I did this because I don't believe the site is suitable for a jail. That's it. There were other sites that I was more amenable to, ones that had potential for other county investments in upstream solutions, like affordable housing. But they didn't pan out. So we kept looking.

All of this is to say, I believe we have more work to do when it comes to funding a jail in our community. And I am all in for providing substantive solutions to the challenges we face in Johnson County, like providing people with better opportunities to live with dignity and respect.

I am more than happy to talk with constituents about this--or any--decision. Please come and join me at one of my coffee chats or events or message me. Next Cafe con V is this Friday, May 1st at Deluxe Bakery and Cafe (812 S. Summit St.)

Three with V:

• I am excited to play Trivia with University of Iowa's Hawk the Vote this coming Thursday from 6:30-9pm!

• I am honored to be giving the Keynote address for the University of Iowa's Rainbow Graduation this coming Friday!!! It has been an absolute honor of mine these past three years and I am so excited for our graduating seniors!

• Escucha mi Voz is hosting a Workers & Families Town Hall on Friday at the Methodist Church starting at 7pm. I hope you will join me!