prison

The bill would give judges more discretion in sending juveniles convicted of aggravated murder to adult prison and also changes the way the state collects some data on reoffenders.

A proposal to broaden the definition of recidivism to include arrests and jail time is prompting warnings that it could distort crime statistics — and end up misinforming public safety policy.

“Jails and prisons are not treatment facilities, and they are certainly not assisted living centers and are not facilities with memory care units,” notes lawyer and author Elizabeth Kelley.

At Fit From Within’s first half-marathon at the Utah State Correctional Facility, inmates ran alongside state lawmakers. They say the program is about gaining more than just physical health.

Salt Lake Community College has one of the largest in-person prison education programs in the nation. Incarcerated students can also get technical certificates, a high school diploma and female inmates can also get a bachelor’s degree.

The restrictions sent to the governor include a ban on adult inmates receiving gender-affirming care and the assigning of cells for juveniles based on sex at birth, not gender identity.

In a party-line vote, the House sent a bill to the Senate that restricts housing for incarcerated transgender minors and also bans gender-affirming care for transgender adults.

A working group of state representatives, law enforcement, business leaders and those with lived experience with incarceration want to find innovative solutions to high recidivism in Utah.

Families described mosquito infestations and insufficient access to medication after inmates moved in two years ago. Now, they say there has been good progress.

The bill would require an incarcerated transgender woman to be housed in the male wing of the jail or prison.

David Bokovoy, director of prison education at SLCC, said he’s heard from a lot of students who said getting an education was the most transformative part of their time in prison.

The Utah Department of Corrections brought in help from other state agencies to address medical issues at the new Salt Lake City facility.