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The State Prison is crumbling and too old. Think again.
One of the arguments put forward by lawmakers is that the current prison built in the 1950's is getting too old, so old that it needs to be completely rebuilt. The truth looks very different and new doesn't always equal better. Some perspective - the oldest continually operating prison is the New Jersey State Prison which was established in 1798! Which is almost 100 years before Utah even received statehood! Many people in Sugarhouse and other communities reside in homes built in the 1910's and 20's, but you don't see them demolishing their homes and relocating.
What about the age of our schools? West High School was built in 1890. Tooele High School was built in 1955 - almost the same age as the prison. Surely the legislature can prioritize spending on the education environment of our children before prisons, the former showing a proven reduction in recidivism.
And there's this:
Only about 30 percent of the 122 buildings there are being used past their intended life cycle, according to prison records. The average age of a housing unit at the Utah State Prison is 33 years.
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