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S.J.R. 12

             1     

JOINT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING

             2     
EXPANSION OF CORRECTIONAL

             3     
FACILITIES IN SAN JUAN COUNTY

             4     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             5     
STATE OF UTAH

             6     
Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

             7     
House Sponsor: Christine F. Watkins

             8     
             9      LONG TITLE
             10      General Description:
             11          This joint resolution of the Legislature supports jail expansion in San Juan County
             12      through a contract with the Utah Department of Corrections.
             13      Highlighted Provisions:
             14          This resolution:
             15          .    supports jail expansion as beneficial to both the state and to San Juan County; and
             16          .    recognizes that S.J.R. 101, passed during the 2007 First Special Session of the Utah
             17      Legislature and approving 80 beds in Garfield County, is now void.
             18      Special Clauses:
             19          None
             20     
             21      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             22          WHEREAS, counties in Utah contract with the Department of Corrections to provide
             23      prison bed space for state prisoners;
             24          WHEREAS, this contracting arrangement has proved beneficial to both the state and
             25      the counties and saved taxpayers from the burden of building new state correctional facilities
             26      while at the same time assisting counties to meet their own correctional space needs;
             27          WHEREAS, the 80 additional bed facility approved for contract with Garfield County


             28      during the 2007 First Special Session of the Utah Legislature has been formally abandoned by
             29      Garfield County;
             30          WHEREAS, in accordance with Utah Code Annotated, Subsection 64-13e-103 (6), the
             31      Department of Corrections may not enter into a contract with a county to house state inmates
             32      unless the Legislature has previously passed a joint resolution that includes the approximate
             33      number of beds to be contracted, the final state daily incarceration rate, the approximate
             34      amount of the county's long-term debt, and the repayment time of the debt for the facility where
             35      the inmates are to be housed;
             36          WHEREAS, the Utah Department of Corrections currently utilizes 70 contract beds
             37      with San Juan County and the county presently provides treatment to approximately 70 of those
             38      inmates with minimal additional funding from the Department;
             39          WHEREAS, the approximate number of additional beds to be contracted in San Juan
             40      County is 230;
             41          WHEREAS, San Juan County is committed to providing treatment services for these
             42      additional state inmates;
             43          WHEREAS, the state daily incarceration rate is currently approximately $82.15 per
             44      day;
             45          WHEREAS, San Juan County estimates the long-term debt cost to be $22 million and
             46      plans to finance the full amount with 20-year bonds;
             47          WHEREAS, this planning cannot begin until authorization to build is received, and the
             48      Utah Department of Corrections will report this information to the Legislature as soon as it is
             49      determined; and
             50          WHEREAS, contracting with the Utah Department of Corrections for additional prison
             51      bed space would greatly assist the state in addressing projected bed space and treatment needs
             52      and San Juan County's efforts to have sufficient capacity to house its prison populations:
             53          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
             54      supports jail expansion of the San Juan facility as beneficial to both the state and to San Juan
             55      County.
             56          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes that S.J.R. 101, passed
             57      during the 2007 First Special Session of the Utah Legislature and approving 80 beds in
             58      Garfield County, is now void.


             59          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Garfield
             60      County Commission, the San Juan County Commission, and to the Utah Department of
             61      Corrections.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-4-09 9:23 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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