Wasatch County’s justice center, which includes courtrooms, sheriff's offices and the county jail, was constructed in the 1990s. County leaders say with a rapidly growing population and aging facilities, the building is due for some upgrades.
Assistant county manager Heber Lefgren told the Wasatch County Council April 8 there are some safety concerns in the jail.
“When we take a look at the evidence processing and storage areas, [they] lack adequate security,” he said. “Shared entry points to the public and staff poses security risks. We take a look at the jail housing and control station has safety issues, including obstructed sight lines, open inmate corridor access and unsecured operating platforms.”
Lefgren said medical and isolation spaces and the booking area are inadequate, and there are often backups where deputies arrive at the jail with people they’ve arrested.
Plus, Lefgren said the county’s population will double by 2080, and the sheriff’s office will need a larger staff.
After a study of the facilities, the sheriff's office envisions a multimillion-dollar overhaul that will take more than five years.
Phase 1 would include adding more barriers between staff areas and cells to make the jail more secure, according to Sheriff Jared Rigby.
“If I'm an inmate and I'm now out because I need to move somewhere to do something that's legit, all I have to do is take over you [the guard] in order to take over all of the inside doors and all of the inmates inside,” he said.
This phase would cost about $2.2 million. About $1 million is set aside in the 2026 budget, and Lefgren said another $500,000 can likely come from the courthouse expansion project, which is under budget.
Phase 2 would expand the sheriff’s booking and evidence areas, office spaces and investigations department to allow for long-term growth.
This phase would also include constructing a new medical unit with exam rooms and “suicide watch” cells.
The project requires buying land and would cost, in total, an estimated $36 million. The needs assessment proposes starting this phase in a few years.
Lefgren said one option is to issue a revenue bond that would mostly be repaid with public safety impact fees. Another option is to save for the project.
“As we go to the budget, we can start growing our expenditure budget a little bit every year, so that when three to five years comes around and we’re ready to pay for it, we have the funds to be able to support that,” he said.
Phase 3 is to construct another wing of the jail, plus new storage for law enforcement vehicles. This would cost over $14 million.
Lefgren said this phase is less urgent because the jail currently shares beds with the Utah State Prison.
“The jailhouse that we have right now, about 60% of that population are the inmates that come from us, and 40% come from the state,” he said. “As we grow as a community, we do have the flexibility to lower the amount of state inmates, to be able to cover the needs that we have as a community. However, the downside on that: if we do that, then we will see a reduction in the revenue that we would collect from the state.”
Lefgren said the county will host informational meetings where locals can learn more about the jail renovation plans.
