The Proposal
A new facility is needed to provide a safe, secure, and functional environment that meets modern standards and supports the well-being of everyone who uses it.
Johnson County wishes to construct a new facility for the sheriff’s office and jail. The jail facility will have an opening capacity of 120 beds, with space reserved for an additional 20-bed housing unit, bringing the total capacity to 140. The kitchen and mechanical components of the building will also be sized to accommodate expansion of the jail to support an additional 100 housing beds if needed in the future.
Location
On July 2, 2026, the Board of Supervisors signed a purchase agreement for approximately 35 acres of land located at the southwest corner of IWV Road SW and Slothower Road, in Iowa City.
The property was selected for its location and is intended to serve as a long-term asset for future County development needs, including a new sheriff’s office and jail.
Cost
The total cost of the project is $94.5 million. The jail component accounts for approximately 45% of the building, and the Sheriff’s Office accounts for 55%.
Site plan (in development)
Jail facility - first floor (in development)
Jail facility - second floor (in development)
Jail facility - second floor (in development)
Sheriff's Office - first floor (in development)
Sheriff's Office - second floor (in development)
Example housing dayroom (in development)
Lobby (in development)
Project timeline
Johnson County’s work to prepare for a future facility includes:
June 2023: The county issued a request for qualifications for a space needs assessment.
July 10, 2024: Shive-Hattery presented its space needs assessment to the Board of Supervisors, outlining limitations of the current facility and future needs. Read the 2024 condition assessment.
October 2024: The county revived the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC), a 17-person committee that meets monthly and is comprised of the Board of Supervisors, judicial officials, mental health professionals and policy advocates, local law enforcement, residents, and other experts. The mission of the CJCC is to create a responsible, thorough, and inclusive plan to replace the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Jail. CJCC continues to meet and meetings are open to the public.
March 24-25, 2025: County officials toured the Dallas County Jail and Woodbury County Jail to review facility operations, discuss referendum history, and law enforcement processes.
April 2025: The county contracted with the University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) to develop a survey for a representative sample of county residents to estimate the public’s perspective and opinions regarding the current and future Sheriff’s Office and Jail facility. The final survey report was released in December 2025. Read the final survey report.
August 28, 2025: Johnson County formally asked the City of Iowa City to consider a joint law enforcement facility, and on September 10, 2025, the Board of Supervisors and Iowa City Council met jointly to discuss a shared facility. This joint facility is no longer being considered.
March 5, 2026: The county entered into a contract with Shive-Hattery for planning and referendum support services.
Ongoing: An internal planning committee meets weekly to coordinate updates, planning efforts, and next steps related to the new facility.