Go or stay?

Of those Utahns who have an opinion about whether to rebuild the prison at a new location, slightly more than half want the prison to stay where it is, according to public comments submitted to the state earlier this month.

The comments were supposed to be on how to get the best feasibility study for building a new Utah State Prison at another location. But most of those submitting comments instead sounded off on the bigger question the study is expected to answer: Move the prison or not.

Twenty-four of the 46 comments submitted to the Department of Administrative Services showed support for keeping the prison where it is. Nineteen supported relocating it. The three remaining comments regarded the feasibility study and dealt with details the request for proposals should include.

The comments, obtained by the Deseret Morning News through a Government Records Access and Management Act request, were used in fine-tuning the final request for a feasibility study. The plan is to find a consultant to study the economic impact of relocating the prison. The study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Here is a sampling of the comments:

Don't move it

"It is nice to have it visible for the public to see as a reminder that the inmates are not going away and the inmate population is growing daily." — Kay Gunderson

"To move the prison because someone has moved to South Mountain and then they don't like 'the neighbors' is blatant catering to a vocal few . . . What are you thinking?" — Karen Cavin

"Making the area an employment center is probably a ploy to make people think there will be new jobs. It is centrally located along the Front. It will be housing." — Suzanne Stensaas, Salt Lake City

"The whole thing smacks of big money from developers . . . big cost to the taxpayer." — Byron Bateman, Midvale

"The prison is in an ideal location. Its proximity to the courts means less dollars spent hauling prisoners to and from court." — Mary Jane Jones, Springville

"This is the most asinine request I have ever heard a governor make in my 35 years in this state." — Duain Caylor

"If the decision to move the prison has already been made (behind the scenes by politicians), which is quite likely, move it to the most appropriate location — the state Capitol complex of buildings." — Kenneth Steadman

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