In the Johnson County Board of Supervisors meeting on 1 July 2026, which lasted almost 3 hours, a lot was discussed regarding the evolving proposal for a new Sheriff’s Administration Facility and Jail. [Video]
The entire meeting is worth listening to, but in my mind, the most significant statement lasted about 7 seconds. An elected county supervisor suggested that in 100 years we may not need a jail.
That comment reminded me of a sentiment I heard from community members 13 years ago when I started following the ongoing discussion about the need for adequate public safety and justice facilities. There was a belief that one day we may not need a jail in the future.
Unattainable?
While that sounds like wishful thinking, it’s actually a scenario we need to plan for. As was pointed out by another county supervisor at the same meeting, our jail population in 2010 averaged about 160 people per night. Currently the average is about 90 people per night — a roughly 43% decline in about 15 years. If we keep that trend, we could perhaps see much lower numbers in another 15 years — about 52 people per night. If we maintain that trajectory, in 30 years we could have about 30 people per night. Or with slower decline, perhaps 40 to 50 years.
Our community is utilizing a social service approach similar to what is being used in other locations in the U.S. and around the world. [Learn More]
There may be a plateau at some point (like we’re experiencing in recent years), or a slower decline in the future due to other factors such as different crime rates for people not from our community who don’t have the long-term benefit of our social services. Yet, we need to plan on a future with a potentially lower jail population.
Architecture: Hope Built-in
What I find hopeful and inspiring about the current version of the evolving facility design is the ability to repurpose jail cells later or change their design — as was mentioned by the architectural firm presenting at the July meeting.
What I would like to see, as our jail population numbers continue to decline, would be some cells made larger and perhaps with some enhanced amenities as a reward for people who are making positive progress and contributions during their stay. Everyone is different, and that could be reflected in a variety of spaces where people could stay.
“No More Jails” – Ideology
One mistake I think people make with regard to the “no more jails” ideology is to assume that we will no longer need police or anyone working in public safety.
A recent Economist article provides insight into one branch of thought on this topic. [See https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/07/09/the-lefts-common-sense-problem-on-crime ]
Here is an excerpt that refers to the thinking of one proponent:
“… he also thinks prisons and police should be scrapped. He talks of ‘creating the kind of world where cages are unnecessary.’ If people were not poor, there would be less crime. And if, in this wonderful future, a few still stray, the ‘people in the community’ should ‘determine what repair needs to look like.’”
It’s Not Just Poverty
From the excerpt above, we see another possible flaw in thinking, which is the assumption that poverty leads to crime, and if people had enough money, there wouldn’t be any more crime.
It’s true that working to eliminate extreme poverty and desperation can foster better overall community wellness. We should do that anyway.
However, there are many examples of people with wealth, power, and access who become even more corrupt and drawn to crime or other behaviors harmful to society. For example, some banks have been known to repeatedly launder money for drug cartels, and some world leaders engage in large-scale crimes. We should do what we can to proactively reduce crime among all socioeconomic groups.
Sometimes poor people steal apples from the local grocery store. Sometimes rich people steal billions from taxpayers. If we’re concerned about crime, we should look at all crimes and their impact.
The Sun Rises on a New Day
Let’s assume we can reach a point where prisons and jails are empty.
Even in a society with no prisons or jails, we would still need the same number of people working in public safety, and perhaps more since we would invest in community policing. Not for arresting people, but simply for protecting, serving, and supporting those in the community, especially those who are vulnerable.
Let me explain.
Imagine a world after the last prison is closed and the last jail is emptied.
The sun rises on a new day.
Someone calls 911 and speaks with the dispatcher. Their electric bicycle has been stolen. An officer is assigned to the case. The officer calls the person who had their bicycle stolen and gets more details about what happened. The victim describes that an intruder broke through two layers of physical security at a secure apartment complex: (1) a solid steel outside door, and (2) a locked storage facility. Without detection, the intruder used a brute force attack to break the lock and clasp on a particular storage unit where the bicycle was visible through wooden slats. The victim provides a photo of the bicycle to the police. A report is written up. The police report is required by the insurance company to pay the amount covered under the renters’ insurance.
Based on the crime database and knowledge gained from community policing, it seemed that a significant rise in similar thefts was happening in the area. Further investigation is conducted. The investigation expands to include the Iowa City Police, the Coralville Police, the North Liberty Police, and Campus Safety at a local University. It is confirmed that a crime ring has come to town with large trucks and a goal of stealing electric bicycles since they are high value, easy to sell, and difficult to trace.
With four police agencies working alongside the County Sheriff’s Office, and Crime Stoppers participants in the community, the stolen bicycle is found in Coralville. The police send a photo of the bicycle to the victim to confirm it is their bicycle.
At that point, the bicycle owner, grateful and impressed by the work of the local agencies, offers to donate the bicycle to the upcoming Sheriff’s auction where recovered unclaimed property is sold. The proceeds go to local non-profits that help provide support to those in need.
No arrests are made.
The above story is true. I know, because it was my bicycle that was stolen.
Multiply that story by hundreds or thousands of others, not just of stolen property, but other incidents where no arrests are made. Still, assistance is provided, property is recovered, lives are saved, and databases of crimes are maintained to gain insights into how to make the community more secure and safer.
Another example might be if a dangerous new drug is becoming available in a community. We’d need to know:
- Who is manufacturing the drug?
- Who is bringing the drug into the community?
- Where are the stockpiles?
- What are the best practices for handling the drug and treating those who have ingested it?
- Are there variants of the drug?
- What are the ingredients?
Much investigation would be needed. There would still be a goal of confiscating the drug from those who have it, and getting it entirely off the streets. A public education effort would need to be made to inform the public of how to detect the drug.
What kind of facilities and staffing are required in the world described above? Substantial. It’s not a world without police. If we make a mass arrest of those involved in the drug distribution, we’d need to detain them until we’re certain they won’t continue harming our community. Then they could be released, or not, depending on community input.
Eliminating the need for jails seems like an altruistic and noble goal worth considering.
However, imagining that we won’t need people working in public safety seems impractical, and somewhat ungrateful for the work being done by those in public safety professions.
Moving Justice Forward
We should make sure that people working in public safety have the resources, facilities, funding, and staffing they need to provide better policing and better outcomes.
This year, many cities are increasing investments in their police and public safety organizations to function under best practices of community policing. This is being done under the direction of the mayors in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Oakland, Portland, and more. Those cities are giving public safety employees the support they need to have positive outcomes. The crime rates in those cities are reaching historic lows never seen before. More on this will be provided in future articles.
Our Proposed Facility
The facility that has been designed for our county’s needs is based on a variety of public safety services provided to 150,000 residents by a staff of about 100 people.
Oversight and support are also provided to millions of people who travel through and to our county each year.
The jail portion of that facility is designed for about 90 people and a possible peak demand of 120. It is a small portion of the overall work of the department across multiple cities and rural communities.
The proposed facility will be needed and essential, even if the jail portion is transformed for other purposes in the future.
Conclusion
My belief is that we should do as dozens of other progressive communities have done, and support the needs of those working in public safety who want to provide exceptional community policing and better outcomes.
Resources & Materials
The main meeting mentioned above was on July 1 [Video], and a follow-up meeting was on July 2 [Video]. More resources and relevant materials will be included here in the future.
About This Document
This document was first created on 12 July 2026. It was revised and posted here on 26 July 2026. When revisions and updates are made, they will be listed here. References in the document to county supervisors intentionally leave out their names so as to shift focus away from people and personalities, and instead focus on specific issues.