A preliminary proposal for a new Johnson County Jail and sheriff’s office, presented to the county’s Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, includes space for 140 inmates — more than double the current jail’s capacity — at an estimated cost of $80 million.
The current Johnson County Jail, which opened in 1981, is in “very poor” condition, according to a 2022 facility condition audit. The building has numerous structural deficiencies, including cracks and deterioration in walls, ceilings, and portions of the roof.
The current jail has a total of 92 beds, but its functional capacity is just 65 beds. That means the jail must send excess inmates to other county jails, including the Linn County Jail in Cedar Rapids.
In 2022, county officials told The Gazette the facility has reached the end of its useful life.
The sheriff’s office signed a contract with Shive-Hattery, a Cedar Rapids-based engineering and architectural firm, in September 2023 to conduct a space needs study of the current jail for $75,000. The firm presented its findings and preliminary design concepts to the supervisors during a work session Wednesday.
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The consultants told the supervisors the current jail has several design issues, including an inefficient linear setup of cells and operational spaces, nine housing units that do not comply with state size standards, and handicap inaccessibility.
Rendering of a proposed new Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Jail, as designed by Shive-Hattery and presented to the Johnson County supervisors on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Johnson County Board of Supervisors)
If the county were to keep the current jail and make no changes, the capacity would have to be capped at 46 beds to comply with state standards, the consultants said.
The estimated cost of transportation and housing for inmates to other county jails would increase from its current standing at nearly $16 million through December 2023, to more than $96 million over a 20-year period, according to Shive-Hattery’s findings.
The main features of the preliminary design include:
Shive-Hattery’s 3D visualizations of a possible design for the facility are intended to “evoke community pride,” “instill a sense of safety and security” and create an “enduring architectural image,” according to the presentation.
Rendering of a proposed new Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Jail, as designed by Shive-Hattery and presented to the Johnson County supervisors on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Johnson County Board of Supervisors)
The proposal presented to the Board of Supervisors is not the complete report from Shive-Hattery. The final report will be finished in about 10 days, the consultants said.
The proposal presented Wednesday does not include a possible location for a new sheriff’s office and jail, but the documents indicate the site would need to be 15 to 20 acres.
The supervisors did not discuss possible sources of funding for such a project, but the preliminary budget considerations presented by Shive-Hattery put the price of the new facility at around $80 million for a mid-2025 bid.
Previous Johnson County bond referendums to finance jail improvements failed in 2012 and 2013. In both years, the proposals received more than 50 percent approval from voters, but they fell short of the 60 percent required for the referendum to pass.
During Wednesday’s work session, Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz raised several concerns about the design and the design process.
Fixmer-Oraiz described the maximum potential bed capacity of 240 as “almost ludicrous” when national and local crime rates are on a recent downward trend.
“It’s almost ludicrous to be having this conversation about 240 beds when the sheriff himself said that across the state, we’ve had a decrease in incarceration rates,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “So what are we planning for?”
Fixmer-Oraiz added that declining crime rates show the county’s efforts to invest in diversion programs and mental health services are working, and should continue.
Sheriff Brad Kunkel said while initiatives like diversion programs do good work and help people, they don’t necessarily work in cases of more serious, violent crimes. These kinds of crimes are what keep the county jail at capacity, he said.
Another concern that Fixmer-Oraiz brought up was the lack of public input into the preliminary design. The Shive-Hattery consultants said they spoke with county officials involved with the jail and sheriff’s office, including the county attorney and law enforcement staff.
While the process of planning a new jail facility is in the early stages and the design can be altered along the way, Fixmer-Oraiz said they would like to have seen more public engagement at the start of the process.
“Up until this point, whether it’s initial or not, there have been other reports that have been done that include much more stakeholder input,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “How you do the thing is what you get in the end. Programming drives form.”
Supervisor Rod Sullivan, the board’s chair, said there still is plenty of time to change the jail design as many times as necessary based on public input garnered throughout the process.
This preliminary design and report, while not complete, is necessary because the supervisors need to know the needs of the jail, Sullivan said.
Kunkel said he wanted to get something to present to the supervisors because he’s been asked about the status of the project.
After some discussion, the supervisors agreed to wait for the final report before discussing next steps in the process.
Sullivan said the initial plan was presented Wednesday because there will be few meetings in the coming months at which all five supervisors will be present.
In order to give the supervisors time to review the contents of the Shive-Hattery report before discussing it and deciding on next steps, the board will wait to further discuss the issue again at its June 26 work session, which will begin at 9 a.m.
The current Johnson County Jail, which opened in 1981, is in “very poor” condition, according to a 2022 facility condition audit. The building has numerous structural deficiencies, including cracks and deterioration in walls, ceilings, and portions of the roof.
The current jail has a total of 92 beds, but its functional capacity is just 65 beds. That means the jail must send excess inmates to other county jails, including the Linn County Jail in Cedar Rapids.
In 2022, county officials told The Gazette the facility has reached the end of its useful life.
The sheriff’s office signed a contract with Shive-Hattery, a Cedar Rapids-based engineering and architectural firm, in September 2023 to conduct a space needs study of the current jail for $75,000. The firm presented its findings and preliminary design concepts to the supervisors during a work session Wednesday.
Preliminary concept proposes new $80M jail in Johnson County
The current Johnson County Jail, which opened in 1981, is in “very poor” condition, according to a 2022 facility condition audit. The building has numerous structural deficiencies, including cracks and deterioration in walls, ceilings, and portions of the roof.
www.thegazette.com
The consultants told the supervisors the current jail has several design issues, including an inefficient linear setup of cells and operational spaces, nine housing units that do not comply with state size standards, and handicap inaccessibility.
If the county were to keep the current jail and make no changes, the capacity would have to be capped at 46 beds to comply with state standards, the consultants said.
The estimated cost of transportation and housing for inmates to other county jails would increase from its current standing at nearly $16 million through December 2023, to more than $96 million over a 20-year period, according to Shive-Hattery’s findings.
The main features of the preliminary design include:
- 140 beds, with space to increase to 240 beds if needed
- Improved law enforcement training facilities
- A pod-style design that would promote staff efficiency and “direct lines of sight”
- No need for additional staffing
- A larger medical unit
Shive-Hattery’s 3D visualizations of a possible design for the facility are intended to “evoke community pride,” “instill a sense of safety and security” and create an “enduring architectural image,” according to the presentation.
Rendering of a proposed new Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Jail, as designed by Shive-Hattery and presented to the Johnson County supervisors on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Johnson County Board of Supervisors)
The proposal presented to the Board of Supervisors is not the complete report from Shive-Hattery. The final report will be finished in about 10 days, the consultants said.
The proposal presented Wednesday does not include a possible location for a new sheriff’s office and jail, but the documents indicate the site would need to be 15 to 20 acres.
The supervisors did not discuss possible sources of funding for such a project, but the preliminary budget considerations presented by Shive-Hattery put the price of the new facility at around $80 million for a mid-2025 bid.
Previous Johnson County bond referendums to finance jail improvements failed in 2012 and 2013. In both years, the proposals received more than 50 percent approval from voters, but they fell short of the 60 percent required for the referendum to pass.
Supervisor pushes back on design
During Wednesday’s work session, Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz raised several concerns about the design and the design process.
Fixmer-Oraiz described the maximum potential bed capacity of 240 as “almost ludicrous” when national and local crime rates are on a recent downward trend.
“It’s almost ludicrous to be having this conversation about 240 beds when the sheriff himself said that across the state, we’ve had a decrease in incarceration rates,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “So what are we planning for?”
Fixmer-Oraiz added that declining crime rates show the county’s efforts to invest in diversion programs and mental health services are working, and should continue.
Sheriff Brad Kunkel said while initiatives like diversion programs do good work and help people, they don’t necessarily work in cases of more serious, violent crimes. These kinds of crimes are what keep the county jail at capacity, he said.
Another concern that Fixmer-Oraiz brought up was the lack of public input into the preliminary design. The Shive-Hattery consultants said they spoke with county officials involved with the jail and sheriff’s office, including the county attorney and law enforcement staff.
While the process of planning a new jail facility is in the early stages and the design can be altered along the way, Fixmer-Oraiz said they would like to have seen more public engagement at the start of the process.
“Up until this point, whether it’s initial or not, there have been other reports that have been done that include much more stakeholder input,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “How you do the thing is what you get in the end. Programming drives form.”
Supervisor Rod Sullivan, the board’s chair, said there still is plenty of time to change the jail design as many times as necessary based on public input garnered throughout the process.
This preliminary design and report, while not complete, is necessary because the supervisors need to know the needs of the jail, Sullivan said.
Kunkel said he wanted to get something to present to the supervisors because he’s been asked about the status of the project.
Next steps
After some discussion, the supervisors agreed to wait for the final report before discussing next steps in the process.
Sullivan said the initial plan was presented Wednesday because there will be few meetings in the coming months at which all five supervisors will be present.
In order to give the supervisors time to review the contents of the Shive-Hattery report before discussing it and deciding on next steps, the board will wait to further discuss the issue again at its June 26 work session, which will begin at 9 a.m.
