This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As red numbers counted down from two minutes to one to zero, almost everyone who stood up to speak at the Prison Relocation Commission's sole public hearing used every last second on the clock at the front of the room in the Utah Capitol.
Many were cut off mid-sentence by Kaysville Republican Rep. Brad Wilson, co-chairman of the commission, saying, "Your time is up" or "We appreciate your comments."
But people simply talked over the interruptions and time limits, while more lined up to speak. Some shouted, "Do you need hearing aids?" Others asked, "Are you even listening?"
And that's what the meeting circled back to throughout Tuesday night: residents feeling unheard and disenfranchised in the prison relocation process.
Hundreds filled the hearing room and several overflow spaces. Though the crowd was peppered with anti-prison T-shirts, most showed up in suits and ties and blazers. They clapped when told not to, cheered when told to quiet down. And they held signs at their feet, demanding to be heard.
Susan Johnson, a resident of Tooele County, said the crowd's efforts didn't matter. In her mind, the commission is just stifling the voices of those standing in opposition to the relocation.
"I don't know if condescension, arrogance and evasive answers to direct questions have worked for you in the past on other incidents, but it's not working with us," she said to the commission.
Johnson said she's felt chastised and ignored and wants the commission to "go back to the drawing board and do a better job."
The remaining four sites under consideration for the new 500-acre prison — Grantsville, Salt Lake City, Eagle Mountain and Fairfield — were narrowed down from an initial list of more than 50. But most at the hearing, including Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, and Rep. Fred Cox, R-West Valley City, asked for the prison to be rebuilt in its current site in Draper.
Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton — commission co-chairman with Wilson, of Kaysville — repeated previous statements that that's not an option.
"The Prison Relocation Commission is not in charge of deciding whether or not to move the state prison," he said. "That decision has been made."
Jackie Biskupski, a former lawmaker and current Salt Lake City mayoral hopeful, said that answer doesn't work for her. She wants the commission to hear what residents are saying and act accordingly.
"We've had essentially no voice in this process," she said.
Outher residents echoed Biskupski's sentiments, saying commission members haven't responded to emails or phone calls. Colby Curtis, with the group No Prison in Eagle Mountain/Fairfield — both sites are in Utah County — said the commission just wanted to "check the box for community outreach off the list" without actually listening to concerns.
"The mere fact that we didn't want a prison should have been enough," he said.
Wilson said it's "easy to get cynical," but that he hopes people realize the state needs a new prison to improve rehabilitation programs.
The commission has previously held three public meetings where questions were filtered and read by a moderator. Tuesday's meeting was the first time residents were able to comment.
Those in Utah County have focused their objections to the relocation on road access and stunted growth. Salt Lake County and Tooele County residents point to wetlands and water issues.
By Aug. 1, the commission will make a final recommendation on the relocation to the Legislature. Gov. Gary Herbert is then expected to call a special session to vote.
Construction crews will likely break ground on the 4,000-bed penitentiary in 2016. While land and cost audits are still in the works, it's projected that the new prison will cost around $500 million to complete.
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner