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Lawmakers weigh jail capacity funding as bill would limit releases for overcrowding
Summary
Legislators and presenters discussed jail capacity and a bill that would prevent automatic release for overcrowding in dangerous cases, while sheriffs warned counties rely on contracted beds and asked for continued DOC contract funding.
Lawmakers on the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee discussed jail capacity and a proposed change to pretrial-release practice that would curtail releases for overcrowding in cases the bill defines as dangerous.
Representative Lisenby told the committee that Salt Lake County has for two years released thousands of arrestees for overcrowding — 4,000 in 2023 and about 3,947 in 2024 — and that nearly a quarter of those released were charged with a felony. The bill under discussion (related to HB 312 in testimony) would require a judicial decision for certain individuals rather than an administrative overcrowding release, though judges could still set conditions such as bond or monitored pretrial release.
Committee members were told the fiscal note on the bill is still being refined; initial estimates were scaled to possible incarceration costs but final requests may be lower. Supporters said the proposal targets repeat dangerous offenders who create a revolving‑door risk when local jail overcrowding forces release.
Sheriffs— testimony earlier in the hearing (see separate article) emphasized that county jails currently provide a significant portion of the state—s correctional bed capacity through DOC contracting and that funding decisions this session will shape county capacity and operations.
Ending: The bill and associated fiscal implications remain under development; appropriators said they will consider a refined fiscal note as language and cost estimates are finalized.
