Johnson County sees growing need for new jail, justice center

After years of study and debate, Johnson County officials may finally be getting closer to deciding where and when to build a criminal justice center.

Another study should be completed in the coming weeks, this one determining how much space is needed for a justice center, which likely would include a new jail and court space.

Also, a county subcommittee is working on a timeline for bringing the matter to voters, possibly next year. Voter approval would be needed to fund a project that would cost well into the tens of millions of dollars.

The progress comes at a time the needs at the courthouse, which is more than 100 years old, and the overcrowded jail are becoming more acute.

Last year, the jail's average daily population was 145 inmates, up from 135 the year before, and 125 the year previous to that. That's a problem because the jail, which opened in the early 1980s, has 92 beds.

It cost more than $1 million last year to pay other counties to house those overflow inmates and for related transportation expenses, up from $935,004 the year before. That's cheaper than the annual costs for a new jail, but not by much, Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said.

Also, most of the overflow inmates are sent to Marshall County in a cost-saving move, but that's about 180 miles round-trip for deputies. It's also a long way for inmates' families and attorneys.

What to do with the proposed justice center has been a sore point among the county's supervisors in recent months. The supervisors a couple of years ago agreed to put the facility near the existing courthouse south of downtown, but then last summer there was talk of looking at a site in northeast Iowa City for the jail.

After months of debate, a divided Board of Supervisors discarded that idea.

The county is again studying the area south of the courthouse and has budgeted money to buy homes that are there now.

“You can kind of see what we're doing,” said supervisor Terrence Neuzil, who favors a downtown site.

But there is not unanimous agreement on that. Supervisor Chairwoman Sally Stutsman said she's not convinced a downtown site is the best. Money is the most important consideration, she said.

A consultant has said it will cost at least $61 million to build a justice center by the courthouse. County officials almost universally believe voters would never approve that amount.

Pulkrabek believes $30 million to $40 million is more realistic. He and Stutsman said doing the project in phases may be better, too.

“Build the basics today, know that if there needs to be more, we can do that,” Stutsman said.

A 2000 bond issue for a new jail failed.

Pulkrabek said it would take up to three years to design and build a justice center.