The Prison Relocation Commission recently announced a series of "Open Houses" in various locations for members of the public to learn more, and ask questions, about the relocation of the primary Utah State Prison facility currently in Draper, Utah.
Please note that for each Open House, there will be opportunities between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. to look at informational displays about the prison relocation process, and from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. there will be a Q&A program. Here are the dates, times and locations of these events.
IN SALT LAKE COUNTY:
Wednesday, May 20, 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Promontory Building, Utah State Fairpark
155 N 1000 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
IN TOOELE COUNTY:
Thursday, May 28, 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Grantsville High School
155 E. Cherry Street
Grantsville, UT 84029
IN UTAH COUNTY:
Tuesday, June 2, 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Frontier Middle School
1427 Mid Valley Road
Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
We encourage members of the public to attend and share their thoughts about this process! We also ask that all those who attend the Open Houses speak fairly and respectfully about the people who are incarcerated at the Utah State Prison, and not misrepresent inmates' public safety risk.
As an organization that cares about prisoners' rights, and protecting the rights and dignity of people who are trapped in the criminal justice system, the ACLU of Utah recognizes that the prison relocation presents some important opportunities to improve conditions for the people who are incarcerated at Draper.
People can disagree about the necessity of the prison relocation, and can have different ideas about the best location for the prison facility. We encourage an open dialogue! However, we hope that community members will share their thoughts in a way that does not further stigmatize inmates, their families, people who volunteer in prison programs, and public servants who work in correctional facilities.
For more on the ACLU of Utah's position regarding the prison relocation, we encourage you to read the following blog posts from past months: