Salt Lake County Jail

I just need to add that they need to remember that place is the salt lake county jail, not a prison. I had my husband there for a warrant that was issued by a cop two days before he arrested him. My husband was contacted about the problem, and he told the cop that he was not the one who was responsible for the problem because he was not even there when the problem occurred, the cop said he would do more investigation about it, but yet he still put a warrant for him. I am sure he did it just because my husband is BLACK. Remember, some people who are there are innocent until they see the judge and proven guilty. I am very upset that they do treat us like we don’t deserve good customer service. Very bad! And I also agree that they tend to just stare at you and then give you fake smile just to tell you that you’re late for your appointment.

Michelle

Popularity: 5%

Thank you so much for writing this letter. (Located Here) I can’t express how well it sums up what a disaster that place is. I recently had to spend a few days in jail there for a silly warrant from over five years ago. Let me say that I expect jail to be nothing of luxury or comfort; I understand it’s meant to be essentially a punishment. On the other hand, I do expect to still be treated in a humane fashion since I am afterall a human being and this is America, not a third-world country. However, the conditions in this jail was reminiscent of stories I had read about Siberian gulags of Soviet Russia. I was raised to respect authority, and I made sure to be nothing but respectful and obedient to all the guards at the jail. However, when I was first brought into booking, I was met by guards who weren’t just stern and militant as expected, but were downright rude and insulting. After I was booked, I was then stuck in a cell in booking. This cell was designed to hold maybe six people at the most for an hour or two or two people long-term. Instead I spent the next 24 hours packed into that cell with ten other men. It was difficult to breathe and there was no room to walk around. There of course was also no room to lay down at all to sleep. This time was like torture. When I was finally booked into regular housing, things only slightly improved. I was given a few toiletries, but was shocked to find out that (unlike most jails) you’re not offered deodorant. As one can well imagine when you have sixty-something men packed into a poorly-ventilated room, the smell was horrible. I also wanted to find out certain basic details about the charge on which I was being detained which nobody seemed to be able to tell me. The officer instead yelled at me for asking and informed me that I’m not allowed to ask questions. There is a certain medication which I have had to take my whole life for certain health issues I have always had. In booking, I informed the nurse who took my vitals about the need for this medication. I was assured that I would be provided this medication. I never received this medication once despite constantly submitting kites and asking the medical staff about it when they came. While not having that medication caused me a lot of suffering, I was happy that my life doesn’t depend on those meds. Would they have just let me die if it was a life-threatening condition for which I needed medication? During the time, my father came to visit me. He commented on how he was blown away at how rude the staff at the front counter were. He used the term “bitch” which is a term he NEVER uses. Since this horrible experience, I have gone to visit people in there a time or two. I went through the exact same experience this letter describes. In college, I minored essentially in corrections. I interned in several different jails. I know for one that not all jails are like this. I also know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter. And trust me, there really is no excuse for the way the staff treats people there. Computer problems are one thing, but that doesn’t mean I should be treated like I’m ruining their lives. Afterall, I AM the one who pays them as a taxpayer. I would love to find out if the Sheriff responded to this letter, and if so, what he said.

Tyler

Popularity: 6%

SALT LAKE CITY — During debate about whether to sign a resolution on jail reimbursement with Weber, Davis and Utah counties, Salt Lake County Councilman Randy Horiuchi boiled the issue down to a single question.

“Are we willing to raise taxes on our residents to take care of state problems?” Horiuchi asked.

With that, the council voted unanimously to have a resolution prepared to approve next week. The resolution would join Salt Lake County with three neighbors in a management strategy for dealing with condition of probation prisoners, convicted prisoners who are court ordered to attend a probationary facility rather than prison.

The problem is one of funding. The state doesn’t view condition of probation prisoners as state prisoners and doesn’t budget for them. Counties don’t claim them, either, leaving no one to pick up the tab for the inmates.

The four-county effort would create two separate management plans — one governing county prisoners in county facilities and the other covering state prisoners in county facilities.

Salt Lake County Council Chairman Joe Hatch said the county has always eliminated beds when faced with budget deficits during his eight years on the council. Now, he said, it’s time to try something new.

“We have to have a slight shift in how we approach it to see if that has an effect on the state policy of correction,” Hatch said. “I don’t agree with Utah County on anything, and I’m willing to agree with them on this.”

According to Hatch, this year the state delivered only half of what it promised to help cover costs of housing condition of probation prisoners. That would leave a $900,000 funding gap on July 1 and an even bigger one next year, because the Legislature currently has budgeted no money for jail reimbursement.

“We’re simply housing state prisoners,” Hatch said, “and we’re being expected to go to our residents to collect the money. I think it’s really unfair for us to carry that burden as we have.”

The resolution would unite the four counties with 80 percent of the prisoners in question in lobbying the Legislature, as well as dealing with the budget shortfall uniformly.

If the state provides no funding for its share of the prisoners and still sends more than its quota of inmates, it could mean some prisoners go free to make room for others. Several council members, including Jenny Wilson and Steve DeBry, expressed concern about that idea.

“I wish we could talk about this as a global correction punishment issue,” Hatch said, “but it isn’t. It’s unique funding issue.”

Written by: Abigail Shaha | The Deseret News

Popularity: 8%