The recent news that the Utah state prison under construction is at least $130 million over estimates, and that its size is being reduced by 400 beds in order to save money, should come as no surprise to the tax-paying public. It’s also a couple of years behind schedule.
Located at 8000 West and 1500 North, near the smelly, mosquito-filled swamps of the Great Salt Lake, the site of the new prison will not be very hospitable or accessible to the 1,000 volunteers who now serve at the old prison and to its 1,500 weekly visitors. (Note: The public is not allowed to see the work in progress.)
Inasmuch as the prison population of Utah will very likely grow with the state’s booming population, it now becomes vital to retain the old prison site, even though developers want to get their hands on that square mile at a low price. There are simply not enough beds being built at the new site to accommodate everybody at a cost of about one-quarter million dollars per bed (do the math: $900 million divided by 3,600 beds).
If developers want to pay $400 million or $500 million for that square mile at the Point of the Mountain, perhaps a deal could be worked out to help the state defray the cost of the overruns.
On the other hand, shouldn’t we keep the old prison, conveniently located between Utah’s two largest counties, so that volunteers, visitors and staff might continue their services for the excess number of prisoners that we can expect?
Some years hence, if the lake rises again, we will look back at the Taj Mahal on 80th West, surrounded by water, and feel a sense of relief in knowing that we didn’t sell that square mile in Draper after all.
James King, Salt Lake City
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