Sources

All source documents are identified below. Documents obtained via open-records request are available for download where noted.

Jail population statistics

  1. John Neff, "Cost of Johnson County Jail Operations in FY07," October 2, 2008. Johnson County Sheriff (Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek). johnsoncountyiowa.gov
  2. Johnson County Sheriff's Office, "Weekly Jail Statistics Summary FY14FY15 through FY19FY20." Six annual PDFs. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  3. Johnson County Sheriff's Office, "Jail Statistics Summary FY2021 and FY2122." johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  4. Johnson County Sheriff's Office, "Updated Control Sheet FY23, FY24; Control Sheet 7.18.25 (FY25); Control Sheet 1.23.26 (FY26 partial)." johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  5. Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Jail Statistics Dashboard (retrieved July 3, 2026). Displays "12 Month Trend" (rolling monthly Jun 2025–May 2026), "12 Year Trend" (calendar years 2014–2025), and May 2026 Population/Bookings detail pages. Images archived at Page 1, Page 2, Page 3. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats

State jail inspections

  1. Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Jail Inspection Report, Johnson County, January 7, 2025. Inspector: Delbert G. Longley. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  2. Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Jail Inspection Report, Johnson County, January 6, 2026. Inspector: Delbert G. Longley. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  3. Iowa Department of Corrections. Jail Inspection Report, Washington County, January 29, 2026. Chief Jail Inspector Delbert Longley. Reports 84 beds, a census of 23 on inspection day, the staffing roster, and a posted "$60.00 Other Counties" housing rate. Used for the inter-county rate and staffing comparisons on the Cost Analysis page. Download report (PDF); Download cover letter (PDF)

Consultant reports

  1. Shive-Hattery, "JCSO and Jail Needs Assessment, Volume I — Needs Assessment," August 8, 2024 (August revision of July 10, 2024 draft). Includes programming questionnaire and current staffing roster (Appendix, p. 101). johnsoncountyiowa.gov (PDF)
  2. Shive-Hattery, "Supplemental Life Cycle Cost Analysis," July 8, 2024. Source for the $69.4M savings claim, Do Nothing scenario staffing and per-diem projections, and 20-year cost comparison. johnsoncountyiowa.gov (PDF)
  3. CSSI / University of Iowa Center for Social and Behavioral Research, "CSSI Iowa, Final Report: CJCC Survey and Focus Groups," December 11, 2025. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  4. Prison Policy Initiative (Emmett Sanders and Sarah Staudt), memo to Prairielands Freedom Fund re: Johnson County Jail Needs Assessment, December 5, 2024. Presented at Johnson County CJCC, May 8, 2025 by Elizabeth Rook Panicucci.

Documents obtained via open-records request

  1. Johnson County, "Jail Quick Facts" (focus-group fact sheet). Produced May 13, 2026 in response to Tier 1 open-records request. Download (PDF)
  2. CSSI Project Proposal and Work Agreement, signed April 9, 2025 (Cassidy Branch, CSSI designee; client signature line blank). Produced May 13, 2026. Download (PDF)
  3. University of Iowa HSRD (Human Subjects Research Determination) Form — "CJCC Evaluation" (IRB ID 202503233), PI Cassidy Branch. Records the university's formal determination that the CSSI survey/focus-group project constitutes quality improvement, not human subjects research under 45 CFR 46.102(d). Produced May 29, 2026 in response to open-records request to University of Iowa. Download (PDF)
  4. Shive-Hattery Amendment 3, February 23, 2026 (client signature line blank). Produced March 5, 2026. Download (PDF)
  5. Sheriff's Office FY26 Budget Presentation (Snapshot-26843), 21 slides, delivered to Board of Supervisors November 2024. Primary source for the $960K static OoC budget admission (slide 20), transport breakdown 2022–2024 (slide 11), and OoC actuals 2014–2024. Download (PDF)
  6. Sheriff's Office FY26 Budget Worksheet (Snapshot-26840). Primary source for line-item account 01-08-1050000-48615 (Jail Inmate Housing Expenses). Download (PDF)
  7. Sheriff's Office FY27 Budget Worksheet (Snapshot-29499), dated December 15, 2025. Primary source for SC349 $800K figure and civilianization savings statement (FY27 Budget Planning Information, Sheriff Kunkel). Download (PDF)
  8. "Out of County Inmate Housing and Transportation Costs" infographic, Sheriff's Office, 2025. Primary source for 2025 transport categorization (1,211 total; 484 overcrowding; Warrants 228; Juvenile 109; Court Order 362; Other 28) and $16.6M cumulative since 2001. Download (JPG)
  9. Detention Officer Job Bulletin #00852, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, May 5–30, 2025. Primary source for $29.68/hr wage and BFOQ designation (Iowa Code §356.5). Download (PDF)

Johnson County government records

  1. "Johnson County Justice Center — Frequently Asked Questions," jcjusticecenter.com, archived August 24, 2012. Source for 46-bed original design capacity and the double-bunking history. web.archive.org
  2. Johnson County Board of Supervisors, minutes and agenda packets (formal meetings and work sessions), accessed via the Granicus archive. Key meetings cited: May 29, 2024 Work Session (first public appearance of 65-bed operational figure); September 17, 2025 Work Session (120+20 framing origin); October 10, 2024 CJCC; January 21, 2025 Formal (Amendment 1); March 27, 2025 Formal (CSSI consideration); November 13–14, 2025 Formal (stabilization plans/specs approved and bids requested, Amendment 2); January 8, 2026 Formal (stabilization construction contract awarded to Peak Construction Group); February 23, 2026 Formal (Amendment 3); April 22–23, 2026 Work Session and Formal (cost framing, essential-purpose bond Resolution 04-23-26-02); April 24, 2025 Formal (Fleet Shop Expansion Project public hearing and resolution: 4810 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City, estimated total cost $1,325,000, Vantage Architects, bids solicited May 15, 2025). johnsoncountyiowa.gov
  3. Johnson County, FY2024 Budget Book. (a) Capital Projects Fund: source for original Shive-Hattery contract amount ($75,000). (b) General Fund, Dept 08 (Sheriff): source for FY22 actual ($11,615,410) and FY23 actual ($12,301,992) Sheriff general-fund totals, used in the sheriff budget growth figures. FY23 figure confirmed as column 1 in the FY25 Budget Book.
  4. Johnson County, FY2025 Budget Book. General Fund, Dept 08 (Sheriff): confirms FY23 actual ($12,301,992). Also source for FY25 Sheriff budget context.
  5. Johnson County, FY27 Total Expenses Budget. CC08 Sheriff, function 1050 (Jail Operations). Source for in-house per-diem calculation and jail share of Sheriff's Office budget. johnsoncountyiowa.gov (PDF)
  6. Johnson County, FY27 Tax Calculation Worksheet. Debt Service Fund (Fund 65). Source for existing bond roll-off context ($36,038 projected FY27 revenue). johnsoncountyiowa.gov (PDF)
  7. Johnson County, Henry County Inmate Housing Agreement, FY2025. Source for $60/day OoC rate (up from $50/day). Available via county records request.
  8. Johnson County, Maintenance and Capital Improvement Plan FY27–FY31. Presented to Board of Supervisors Work Session May 20, 2026. Packet Pg. 23–35 (Item C.4.b, Capital Planning Committee). Primary source for $96M total bond figure and 5-year breakdown (FY27 $6.2M / FY28 $40M / FY29 $40M / FY30 $9.8M) with note that "the bond referendum amount is not finalized." Also documents $600,000/year "Sheriff's Office Repairs" (FY27–FY29, Fund 30/Bond) described as "Repair building as needed; annual monitoring" — separate from the $1,885,400 Peak Construction stabilization contract (against a $3,356,000 budget) documented in §4 of this site. Download BoS Full Agenda (PDF)
  9. Draft Bond Language Options 1–4. "DRAFT BOND LANGUAGE ONLY—FINAL IS SUBJECT TO BOND COUNSEL APPROVAL." Presented to Board of Supervisors Work Session May 6, 2026, Packet Pg. 10 (Item C.3.a). Four draft ballot-question texts with $X placeholders for the amount. Options 1 and 2 expand bondable scope to courtrooms, prosecutor office space, and "other complementary governmental purposes"; Options 3 and 4 limit scope to jail and Sheriff's Office. Download BoS Full Agenda (PDF)

Cost indices and population estimates

  1. Turner Construction Company, Turner Building Cost Index. Published quarterly. Used for inflation-adjusting historical bond amounts to 2026 dollars and for the cost-per-square-foot trajectory comparison on the Cost Analysis page. Index values used on this site: 2024 average 1426; 2025 average 1485; Q1 2026 1530. The same index is cited in Shive-Hattery's own cost estimates. turnerconstruction.com/cost-index
  2. U.S. Census Bureau / Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Resident Population in Johnson County, IA (series IAJOHN3POP). Annual estimates, July 1. Used on the Overview page to compare ADP trend against county population growth (2014: 142,874; 2025: 160,044; +12%) and on the Cost Analysis page to compute ADP per 100,000. The 2020 base is the April 1, 2020 decennial enumeration (152,854); 2021–2024 are Vintage 2024 PEP estimates. fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IAJOHN3POP; census.gov/quickfacts

Iowa statutes and administrative code

  1. Iowa Code §75.1 — 60% supermajority requirement for county general-obligation bonds.
  2. Iowa Code §68A.405A — prohibition on use of public funds for political advertising.
  3. Iowa Code Chapter 21 — Open Meetings law.
  4. Iowa Code §356.44 — Sheriff's written rules for prisoner conduct; judicial approval requirement.
  5. Iowa Code §331.441 — County general-obligation bond authority; requires voter approval (60% supermajority per §75.1); governs the proposed $96M jail GO bond.
  6. Iowa Code §331.443 — County essential corporate purpose bond authority; does not require voter approval up to statutory limits; governs the omnibus intent-to-borrow Resolution 04-23-26-02 (April 23, 2026, ≤$21,743,150 across many loan agreements), including the ≤$600,000 Emergency Basis Building Restoration Loan for the "dilapidated County jail building."
  7. Iowa Code §76.1 — Form and maturity of county bonds; governs term and payment structure of county general-obligation debt.
  8. Iowa Code §29C.9 — county emergency management commission: composition (one member of the board of supervisors, the sheriff, and the mayor of each city within the county). Cited on the Records page for the emergency-management fallback questions. legis.iowa.gov (PDF)
  9. Iowa Administrative Code 201 Ch. 50 — Iowa Jail Standards. Current as of January 8, 2025. legis.iowa.gov (PDF)
  10. Iowa Legislature, Fiscal Services Division. Annual Report on Iowa Correctional System Costs. Source for Iowa state prison per-diem (~$116/day / $42,482/year), used as a reference benchmark. legis.iowa.gov

Professional standards and national benchmarks

  1. National Institute of Corrections, Staffing Analysis Workbook for Jails, 2nd Edition, NIC, 2001. Used for independent verification of the 18 transport FTE estimate (Do Nothing scenario). correction.org (PDF)
  2. U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards. Source for ACA two-officer minimum per vehicle for inmate transport; applied in the Do Nothing transport FTE independent check. usmarshals.gov (PDF)
  3. Regional comparables for post-2022 small jail construction costs. Kewaunee County, WI: combined jail + 911/dispatch + Sheriff's Office (40,500 SF), 58 built beds (expandable to 85). Board approved $25.6M in 2022; rebid at ~$33M in August 2023 after inflation. Per built bed: ~$441K ($25.6M basis) to ~$569K ($33M basis). (Kewaunee County Star-News; WBAY, Aug 2023). Warrick County, IN: combined Sheriff's Office + jail, 83,000+ SF, ~300 beds, ~$50M final cost (from a $57M projection), opened mid-2026. Per-bed ~$167K — lower because of scale (~300 beds vs. 120 for JoCo); per-bed cost falls with size. WFIE/14News, June 24, 2026. Monroe County, IN (~500 beds, 2025 estimate): (B Square Bulletin; IDS News, Feb 2025). Otsego County, NY (96 beds, maximum-security): Feb. 5, 2025 SMRT presentation to Otsego County Board of Representatives. Total project budget $64.5M (2027 dollars, inflation-adjusted); construction cost $53.7M. Per-bed: $672K/bed total project, $559K/bed construction-only. Note: maximum-security classification makes this a higher-cost comparable than a standard county jail. coopercrier.com All comparables should be verified against primary construction documents before formal citation.

News coverage

  1. "Proposed Johnson County Justice Center bond referendum fails to pass," Daily Iowan, November 7, 2012. Contemporaneous source for 2012 ballot measure outcome. dailyiowan.com
  2. "Johnson County Justice Center proposal fails with 54 percent of vote," Daily Iowan, May 8, 2013. Contemporaneous source for 2013 ballot measure outcome (54% yes). dailyiowan.com
  3. The Gazette, "Linn County jail ends agreement with U.S. Marshals, begins agreement with Johnson County," Cedar Rapids Gazette, 2024. Source for Linn County $60/day rate, prior $86–$140/day U.S. Marshals rate, and capacity constraint context. thegazette.com
  4. "Johnson County totals $15.8 million to house inmates in other counties since 2003," Daily Iowan, April 28, 2024. Historical OoC spending context. dailyiowan.com
  5. CBS2 Iowa, May 5, 2026. Sheriff Kunkel interview; bond cost discussion. cbs2iowa.com
  6. Kaitlyn O'Neal, "JoCo supervisors discuss new jail as primaries, November bond referendum loom," Daily Iowan, May 7, 2026. Supervisor Sullivan on jail capacity history (46→92→65) and new jail framing. dailyiowan.com
  7. "What you need to know about Johnson County Courthouse expansion proposal," The Gazette, October 26, 2014. Contemporaneous retrospective establishing scope and outcome for all three prior ballot measures: 2000 — $19M, 255-bed standalone jail on Hwy 218/Melrose Ave, rejected at 65% no (35% yes), fell short of simple majority; 2012 — $46.8M, 243-bed Justice Center (153K SF, 6 courtrooms), 56% yes; 2013 — $43.5M, 195-bed Justice Center (4 courtrooms), 54% yes. Original URL no longer resolves; accessed via Wayback Machine. web.archive.org

Letters and public comment

  1. V Fixmer-Oraiz (Johnson County Supervisor), "A new jail costing $90 million or more isn't best for Johnson County," Little Village, May 19, 2026. Quoted on this site for the $45M alternative benchmark, the singular-perspective criticism of the Shive-Hattery process, and the ARPA allocation comparison ($29.3M). littlevillagemag.com
  2. Sheriff Brad Kunkel, statement at Johnson County Board of Supervisors Formal Meeting, May 21, 2026. Quoted on this site for statements on the jail's 50% cost share, community and incarcerated-person involvement, and the 240-bed framing. Source: meeting transcript on file; Granicus clip #3662. johnson-county.granicus.com (video)

Board of Supervisors work sessions (2026)

  1. Johnson County Board of Supervisors, General Business Work Session, June 10, 2026, Item C1. Chair Jon Green presenting Finance Director Dana Aschenbrenner 's tax-impact calculation. Primary source for: 10-year repayment term (first stated publicly); $107 per $100,000 taxable value per year; $321/yr worked example on a $300,000 taxable valuation; ~$0.93/day; $96M jail + Sheriff's Office ballot scope (confirming jail-only framing, not broader courthouse options); ballot language vs. notice strategy (bed count in notice only, per bond counsel); construction timeline (~Aug 2027 start, end-of-2029 opening); formal adoption scheduled June 24, 2026. Quotes are from an auto-generated transcript (audio GUID: johnson-county_85bf5a4a-fa9a-4e4c-832b-df9eb47fd245); verify verbatim against Granicus audio before treating as final quotation. johnson-county.granicus.com (Granicus archive, June 10, 2026)

July 2026 — site disclosure and land purchase

  1. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. "Johnson County signs purchase agreement for development property." Press release, July 2, 2026. johnsoncountyiowa.gov
  2. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. July 2, 2026 formal meeting agenda packet, Resolution 07-02-26 (draft ballot proposition, $96M, bed counts, $107/$100k). Granicus clip 3693. johnson-county.granicus.com
  3. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. July 1, 2026 work session (Granicus clip 3692). Referenced for Supervisor Fixmer-Oraiz's characterization of ADP trend and for context on County Planning/Outreach subcommittees. johnson-county.granicus.com
  4. Johnson County Sheriff's Office. Jail Statistics Control Sheet, March 2026. 12-month window April 2025–March 2026; mean total ADP ~89.6; peak July 2025 ~97.03. johnsoncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/jail-stats
  5. Real Estate Purchase Agreement, IWV Holdings, LLC (Seller) and Johnson County (Buyer). Executed July 2, 2026. Lots 3–8, Melrose Commercial Park, Iowa City (to be replatted as Lot 1, IWV Commercial Park). Available: purchase-agreement.pdf (included in the July 2, 2026 BOS formal meeting agenda packet, Granicus clip 3693).
  6. Iowa City Assessor. Parcel data, Lots 3–8, Melrose Commercial Park; Parcel ID 1113204003 (Lot 3). 2025 assessed value, property class, and prior sale data. iowacity.iowaassessors.com (Parcel 1113204003)
  7. KCRG. "Johnson County to buy land for potential $96 million jail; supervisors delay ballot language decision." July 2, 2026. kcrg.com
  8. KWWL. "Johnson County buys 35 acres for future sheriff's office, jail." July 2, 2026. kwwl.com
  9. The Gazette. "Johnson County to buy land for new jail, sheriff's office." July 2, 2026. thegazette.com
  10. KCJJ. "Johnson County signs purchase agreement for proposed jail property." July 2, 2026. 1630kcjj.com

July 2026 — Board meetings (July 8–23)

  1. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Work Session, July 8, 2026. Minutes and agenda packet. johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3696)
  2. Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee. Meeting, July 9, 2026. Shive-Hattery schematic presentation: 118,500 SF total, $850/SF jail-side rate, cell and dayroom dimensions, engagement session schedule. johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3697); Download minutes (PDF)
  3. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Formal Meeting, July 9, 2026. $5.5M South Capitol Street purchase approved 4-0 with Remington abstaining; Resolution 07-09-26-01 (public-notice posting locations). johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3698); Download minutes (PDF)
  4. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Work Session, July 15, 2026. johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3701)
  5. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Formal Meeting, July 16, 2026. Source for the Green-Douglass "Johnson County Sheriff's Office Planning Committee" statement (video/transcript; the draft minutes published for July 23 approval omit the Supervisor Reports segment). johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3705)
  6. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Joint Entities Meeting, July 20, 2026. johnson-county.granicus.com (clip 3726)
  7. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Formal Meeting agenda packet, July 23, 2026. Contains the Piper Sandler & Co. Municipal Advisory Services Agreement item summary ($141,750) and the July 16 draft minutes. Download agenda packet (PDF)
  8. Johnson County Board of Supervisors. "Purchase agreement for South Capitol Street property." Press release, July 9, 2026. johnsoncountyiowa.gov

Claims registers / agenda-packet payment records (BOS item C.1.a)

Weekly claims registers attached as item C.1.a to Board of Supervisors formal-meeting packets on the Granicus archive. Payment/cash basis; each register reconciles to its packet totals. DocumentViewer links are permalinks to a specific packet file; because a republished packet can change the file hash, each entry also gives the stable AgendaViewer clip fallback. See the Methodology page's "Claims registers — extraction and basis" section.

  1. Johnson County BOS agenda packets, Granicus archive (index of all formal-meeting and work-session packets and video). johnson-county.granicus.com (archive)
  2. June 17, 2025 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 19. $84,852.24 to Johnson County Auditor, "PI-GPS-PROGRAM" / "REIMBURSE ARPA FOR PROGRAM INCOME" (account 01-08-1050000-49205). DocumentViewer; clip 3243
  3. October 16, 2025 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 9. CSSI / University of Iowa "CJCC Jail and Sheriff's Office Facility Evaluation," $12,053.68 (Q3 2025). DocumentViewer; clip 3371
  4. November 13, 2025 Formal (item E.8): Resolution 11-13-25-01 approving plans, specifications, and form of contract and requesting bids for the 511 Capitol St stabilization; Executive Summary Pgs. 197–198 (Axiom engaged via proposal approved October 17, 2024). The $3,230,395.20 in this item is the engineer's estimate, not an award. DocumentViewer, clip 3466
  5. December 18, 2025 Formal, Packet Pg. 66: December 10, 2025 work-session minutes recording the four stabilization bids opened December 4, 2025 (Peak $1,714,000; McComas-Lacina $1,762,000; Tricon $1,846,000; Woodruff $1,883,700), "all below the project's budgeted $3,356,000." DocumentViewer, clip 3500
  6. January 8, 2026 Formal: staff award memo (Packet Pg. 89) and Axiom bid-tabulation letter (Packet Pg. 103) awarding the stabilization construction contract to Peak Construction Group for $1,885,400. Same packet: Axiom design services $57,192.75 (Pg. 4); TAC10/JailTracker renewal $110,628.96 (Pg. 8). DocumentViewer; clip 3516
  7. January 15, 2026 Formal: January 8, 2026 formal-meeting minutes confirming adoption of the Peak Construction award ($1,885,400 including contingency). DocumentViewer, clip 3522
  8. January 29, 2026 Formal and February 12, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims registers. Washington County inmate-housing invoice lines: "Inmate Housing Dec25" $12,900 (215 prisoner-days × $60/day) and "Inmate Housing Jan26" $6,420 (107 × $60/day) — exact integer multiples of the $60/day rate posted on Washington County's January 2026 State inspection sheet. clip 3532; clip 3559
  9. February 12, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 9. CSSI / University of Iowa facility evaluation, $21,744.68 (Q4 2025). DocumentViewer; clip 3559
  10. March 19, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 9. Peak Construction Group "511 Capitol St Stabilization" Pay Application 1, $54,458.80 (CC08/FD30/SC610). DocumentViewer; clip 3604
  11. April 16, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 4. Peak Construction Pay Application 2, $60,640.24. DocumentViewer; clip 3631
  12. May 7, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 11. Peak Construction Pay Application 3, $301,970.31. DocumentViewer; clip 3650
  13. May 14, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 13. Shive-Hattery "Sheriff's Office Space Needs Study: referendum services," $36,048.03 (CC05/FD30/SC423). DocumentViewer; clip 3658
  14. June 4, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 7. Shive-Hattery "referendum services," $109,800.00. DocumentViewer; clip 3675
  15. June 11, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 8. Peak Construction Pay Application 4, $238,101.32. DocumentViewer; clip 3680
  16. July 2, 2026 Formal, item C.1.a claims register, Packet Pg. 10. Shive-Hattery "referendum services," $124,544.55. DocumentViewer; clip 3693
  17. July 9, 2026 Formal, Supplier Invoice Payments (item C.1.a). $10,000 to Hawkeye Title Services LC, "Earnest money for real estate purchase - IWV Holdings" (CC05). DocumentViewer; clip 3636
  18. Johnson County, FY27 Total Expenses Budget. Used for the CC08 cost-center mapping of the out-of-county housing (SC349) and related lines. johnsoncountyiowa.gov (FY27 Total Expenses Budget, PDF)
  19. February 4, 2025 Formal, item C.1.f, Packet Pg. 38. Dept 08 FY26 Budget expense sheet, account 01-08-1050000-48615 "JAIL INMATE HOUSING EXPENSES": FY23 actual $331,885; FY24 actual $310,700; FY25 budget $960,000. DocumentViewer; clip 3091
  20. February 19, 2025 Work Session, Packet Pg. 130. Executive summary discussing the CSSI proposal; quotes a price range of $32,783.27–$77,295.99 for the work that finalized at $53,406. DocumentViewer; clip 3107
  21. March 27, 2025 Formal. Agenda item: "Consider proposal from University of Iowa Center for Social Science Innovation for Community Perspectives on the Sheriff's Office and Jail Project" — the CSSI Board consideration date (corrects a prior March 13, 2025). DocumentViewer, clip 3152
  22. January 29, 2025 Work Session, Packet Pg. 10. Executed Shive-Hattery Amendment 1: "TOTAL (for Amendment One Service) $63,800.00 + expenses." DocumentViewer; clip 3089
  23. December 4, 2025 Formal, item E.4.a, Packet Pgs. 82–86. Shive-Hattery Amendment 2 (document date November 14, 2025; footer "Project 214230378-0 | November 14, 2025"): "TOTAL (for Amendment Two Service) $13,000.00 + expenses," including a −$5,190.00 credit against Amendment 1. The document's header line "AMENDMENT ONE DATE: November 14, 2025" is a clerical error (Amendment One is dated January 21, 2025). DocumentViewer; clip 3484
  24. May 7, 2025 Work Session, item C.2.a, Packet Pgs. 16–17. Jail-alternatives program composition as of May 2025 (Work Release 24%, OWI Continuum 30%, Probation 2%, Special Sentence 5%; average stays, e.g. Work Release 4.2 months). DocumentViewer; clip 3199
  25. September 17, 2025 Work Session, Packet Pg. 85 region. Axiom building condition investigation with repair-option cost tables — exterior building shell/facade repair estimated $1.825M–$3.65M (origin of the stabilization budget). DocumentViewer; clip 3338
  26. December 11, 2025 Work Session. CSSI focus-group transcripts (a packet-published primary source for material otherwise obtained via records request). DocumentViewer; clip 3489
  27. January 27, 2026 Formal, item C.3.a, Packet Pg. 31. Sheriff's FY27 budget worksheet, decision-package ranking: "1. Law Enforcement Mental Health Liaison 2. 9 Vehicle Replacements 3. Tac10 savings." DocumentViewer; clip 3528
  28. February 24, 2026 Work Session, Packet Pg. 3. Shive-Hattery Amendment 3 agenda and executive summary (discussion). DocumentViewer; clip 3582
  29. March 5, 2026 Formal. Agenda: Shive-Hattery Amendment 3 considered. DocumentViewer; clip 3593
  30. March 12, 2026 Formal. Minutes reflecting Shive-Hattery Amendment 3 "in the amount of $549,000." DocumentViewer, clip 3597
  31. April 23, 2026 Formal, item E.6.a, Packet Pgs. 500–501+ (hearings held April 15, 2026). Omnibus intent-to-borrow Resolution 04-23-26-02, ≤$21,743,150 across many loan agreements (most of it annual insurance-program financing, $15,359,450); includes a ≤$600,000 "Emergency Basis Building Restoration Loan Agreement … for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent, of making emergency basis building restoration to the dilapidated County jail building." DocumentViewer; clip 3640
  32. June 10, 2026 Work Session, Packet Pg. 7. Bond-election resolution: "The Board of Supervisors intends to undertake the Project at an estimated cost of $96,000,000. In accordance with Section 331.442 of the Code of Iowa, this cost figure is an estimate and shall not be binding on the Board in later proceedings related to the Project." Also sets the November 3, 2026 special election. DocumentViewer; clip 3677

Commentary

  1. Lauren Whitehead, "The case for a new Johnson County Jail," Bleeding Heartland, July 21, 2025. The most prominent pro-bond essay in the local political register; cited here as secondary commentary. Note: Whitehead characterizes both 2012 and 2013 votes as "approximately 56 percent"; contemporaneous Daily Iowan coverage (#32, #33 above) establishes 56% (2012) and 54% (2013) as the actual figures. bleedingheartland.com