It’s easy to appreciate the impact that our police officers have on public safety. We see them almost every day — patrolling our streets, supporting our schools and responding to requests for help. I strongly believe that accountability is critical to our criminal justice system. People who commit serious crimes should serve prison time. But there’s another side to public safety that’s less visible but just as essential. Corrections officers in our prisons, county jails and community correctional centers work out of the spotlight day in and day out playing an unheralded but essential role in keeping our communities safe.
This summer marked the second anniversary of the opening of the new Utah State Correctional Facility. Relocating the state prison from the aging facility in Draper was an important decision for the state’s long-term growth and economic prosperity. However, changes of that magnitude are never seamless. The first year in the new state prison was marked by challenges, including operating a new facility design and supervision model.