“We must see this ballot question as a choice that reflects our priorities. If we borrow this huge sum of money for a new jail, what are we forgoing?”

“Jails are the last stop when all the other systems fail. And it’s the most expensive, least cost-effective option we have. We should be investing in prevention instead of a jail, which disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities, even in Johnson County.”

“The same stale argument that has been used before is being used again; supporters argue that the current jail, built in 1981, is outdated and expensive to maintain. They say a new jail would reduce the need to house people in other counties. Those arguments fail considering the facts. Johnson County’s own published jail statistics show that the average daily jail population has fallen dramatically from its peak. The county reported an average daily population of 161 in 2010, but only 83 in 2023, 86 in 2024, and 88 in 2025. In other words, the long-term trend is not a growing jail population. It is a smaller jail population than Johnson County had 15 years ago.”

“I’m voting no because jails are the most expensive way to make communities unhealthy.”