S.J.R. 24 Enrolled

1

JOINT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EXPANSION OF
2 CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN SAN JUAN COUNTY
3 2011 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins
6 House Sponsor: Eric K. Hutchings
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This joint resolution of the Legislature supports jail expansion in San Juan County.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . supports jail expansion as beneficial to both the state and to San Juan County
14 through a contract with the Utah Department of Corrections; and
15 . approves expansion of the San Juan jail facility from 70 to 110 beds.
16 Special Clauses:
17 None
18
19 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
20 WHEREAS, counties in Utah contract with the Utah Department of Corrections to
21 provide prison bed space for state prisoners;
22 WHEREAS, this contracting arrangement has proved beneficial to both the state and
23 the counties and saved taxpayers from the burden of building new state correctional facilities
24 while at the same time assisting counties to meet their own correctional space needs;
25 WHEREAS, in accordance with Utah Code Annotated, Subsection 64-13e-103 (6), the
26 Utah Department of Corrections may not enter into a contract with a county to house state
27 inmates unless the Legislature has previously passed a joint resolution that includes the
28 approximate number of beds to be contracted, the final state daily incarceration rate, the
29 approximate amount of the county's long-term debt, and the repayment time of the debt for the

30 facility where the inmates are to be housed;
31 WHEREAS, the Utah Department of Corrections currently utilizes 70 contract beds
32 with San Juan County and the county presently provides treatment to these inmates with
33 minimal additional funding from the department;
34 WHEREAS, the approximate number of additional beds to be contracted in San Juan
35 County is 40;
36 WHEREAS, San Juan County is committed to providing treatment services for these
37 additional state inmates;
38 WHEREAS, the state daily incarceration rate that the department will pay the county
39 per inmate is currently $45 per day;
40 WHEREAS, San Juan County plans to finance the prison expansion through a $4-5
41 million grant from the Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund Board and a $4-5 million loan
42 from the board on a 20-year repayment schedule;
43 WHEREAS, this planning cannot begin until authorization to build is received, and the
44 Utah Department of Corrections will report this information to the Legislature as soon as it is
45 determined; and
46 WHEREAS, contracting with the Utah Department of Corrections for additional prison
47 bed space would greatly assist the state in addressing projected bed space and treatment needs
48 and San Juan County's efforts to have sufficient capacity to house its prison populations:
49 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
50 supports jail expansion of the San Juan facility as beneficial to both the state and to San Juan
51 County.
52 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the San Juan
53 County Commission and to the Utah Department of Corrections.