Senate approves recommendation to site new Utah state prison west of Salt Lake City after heated debate

The Utah Senate on August 18, 2015 voted to approve Second Substitute House Concurrent Resolution 101, endorsing the Prison Relocation Commission's recommendation to site a new state correctional facility off Interstate 80 west of the Salt Lake City Airport.

The resolution, presented by Senator Jerry Stevenson, concluded a multi‑year commission review of more than 50 candidate parcels and recommended a large parcel west of the airport. "The site that we recommend is the site that is off of, Interstate 80 at about 7200 West, north of I‑80 and west of the Salt Lake City Airport," Stevenson said, summarizing the commission's work and the recommendation to proceed.

Why it mattered: supporters argued the current Draper facility is unsafe and outdated and that relocating would improve operational safety and create economic development opportunities on the vacated Draper site. "The Draper prison is not sufficiently safe," Sen. Thad told colleagues, describing outdated security fixtures and operational risks. Proponents also cited access to hospitals, courts and volunteer networks as factors that lower long‑term operating costs.

Opponents raised environmental and community concerns. Sen. Escamilla, whose district includes the proposed site, said he "strongly oppose[d] this recommendation" and urged colleagues to vote no, warning of sensitive wetlands, the proximity to habitat, and a landfill remediation cost he said could be about $150 million. Others questioned geological risks (liquefaction close to the Granger Fault), mosquito abatement and the adequacy of public information about how Draper's redevelopment would be managed and how school‑revenue disparities between districts would be addressed.

Several senators proposed and debated amendments, including a motion to remove the site's specific reference to I‑80. That amendment failed after a division vote. Rural senators argued the prison could be sited in less populated counties to generate jobs, while metropolitan senators and commission supporters stressed the commission's transparency and the operational advantages of the Salt Lake location.

The Senate conducted a roll‑call under suspension of the rules. President Niederhauser announced the result: Second Substitute HCR 101 "having received 21 yay votes, 7 nay votes, 1 being absent, passes." Senator Stevenson then charged Senate committees to notify the House and the governor that the Senate had concluded its business.

The next procedural steps are to transmit the signed resolution to the House Speaker and notify the governor's office; sponsors said the Governor will then take any required executive actions. The resolution approves a site recommendation; it does not itself authorize construction funding or final site purchases, which would require later appropriations and additional administrative steps.