Utah
Too nice for inmates or redefined? Why new prison is much different than at Point of the Mountain
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An outside house for religious and spiritual ceremonies, akin to sweat lodges, is pictured on the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday, June 30. Corrections officers say the brand new jail will give inmates extra alternatives to raised their lives as soon as they’re launched. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information)
Estimated learn time: 7-8 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Roughly 95% of the people who find themselves incarcerated in Utah’s state prisons will sooner or later be launched.
That is why Steve Turley says it is essential to offer inmates each alternative to turn out to be profitable.
“They are going to transfer in your neighborhood, my neighborhood, and we wish them to be a great neighbor. We should not be scared. We should not be terrified of an inmate who lives in our neighborhood. We must always assist them. We must always help them in turning into profitable,” stated Turley, director of the Scientific Companies Bureau on the Utah Division of Corrections.
He believes the brand new jail, referred to as the Utah State Correctional Facility, 1480 N. 8000 West in Salt Lake Metropolis, will give inmates that probability to seek out success and proper the conduct that resulted in them being incarcerated within the first place.
“We’re hoping they make the most of it. That is the hope, that they’ll see what we’re providing them they usually’ll take full benefit of what now we have to supply,” he stated.
Final week, the Division of Corrections confirmed it had accomplished the switch of two,464 inmates from the previous facility in Draper to the brand new jail advanced. Simply earlier than the the division started transferring inmates, Turley took KSL.com on an in depth tour of the brand new jail.
Whereas the brand new setup is much less unfold out than the Draper facility and can maintain fewer inmates, there may be extra sq. footage per constructing, which can present for extra classroom house. Meaning there shall be extra counselors, bigger class sizes and shorter ready lists for inmates who want to finish life abilities or counseling programs.
The brand new jail will maintain roughly 3,700 inmates whereas the Draper facility held slightly below 4,000. The discount within the inmate inhabitants is because of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative handed by the state in 2015 which requires extra applications and remedy to assist nonviolent offenders and to avoid wasting mattress house for these convicted of violent and severe offenses. Along with the roughly 2,400 inmates moved from the Draper facility to the brand new jail, about 1,700 shall be housed within the state jail in Gunnison and one other 1,600 shall be held in varied county jails.
The previous jail lacked ample house for remedy, rehabilitation, training and job-training applications, in accordance with Corrections officers.
The brand new jail “advanced,” as it’s outlined by Corrections officers, may even haven’t solely greater school rooms but additionally libraries — together with a household historical past library, seven nondenominational chapels, music rooms, laptop labs, gymnasiums, recreation yards and even barber retailers. That is along with applications that train inmates abilities they’ll use to get a job when launched, akin to welding, auto mechanics, and culinary arts.
The Horizonte Faculty additionally has a program on the jail to assist inmates acquire their GED. And the brand new jail advanced has two infirmaries with greater than triple the variety of beds that the Draper facility had and rooms for dental procedures with extra trendy gear.
“Actually, it is a metropolis,” Turley stated of the brand new west Salt Lake advanced.
Changes have additionally been made to enhance the extent of psychological well being care that inmates obtain, together with “remedy rooms” for these in disaster, in accordance with Turley. Relatively than eradicating an inmate from their cell block and placing that inmate into an unfamiliar atmosphere, rooms the place a therapist can safely work together with an inmate — and the inmate can nonetheless see their cell — have been added.
A lot has already been manufactured from the massive “detention-grade” home windows which were put in in every constructing, together with in most safety. The introduction of pure daylight is anticipated to have a dramatic, optimistic affect on each officers and inmates alike.
“There’s been a variety of research on what gentle does to your psychological well being,” Turley stated. “Presently in Draper, in the event you go to work it’s possible you’ll not know if it is snowing, raining or solar shining for 12 hours. The sunshine will assist the psychological well being. For those who go to work day-after-day in a darkish room, in the end it is going to have an effect on you. I imply, after you’re employed in a spot for years and years and it is darkish and it is gloomy, it impacts you.”
And all the pieces discovered within the males’s part can also be out there within the ladies’s space.
Within the common inhabitants and the geriatric models, inmates might be housed in both cubicle-style residing areas that provides inmates extra space to maneuver round; a cell with eight bunks that features a bathroom and bathe with some privateness; or a two-bunk cell that gives little or no privateness. There are additionally single bunk cells in most safety.
“The inmates earn what they get. We home inmates in accordance with their conduct in jail. In the event that they behave good, they’ll purchase extra commissary, they’ve extra visits, they’ll have extra time on the telephone, extra calls,” Turley stated.
Normal inhabitants inmates may even have visits from relations or important others that aren’t separated by partitions and glass, throughout which they’ll hug their family members and are allowed one kiss on the finish of the go to.
Throughout a ribbon slicing ceremony for the brand new facility in June, not less than one of many audio system admitted that there was some concern throughout the planning phases of creating the jail too good for the inmates. However Turley stated the tip result’s a facility that’s nonetheless a jail, but additionally treats inmates with dignity.
“Inmates are human beings. They’re. Our job in corrections is to help them in being profitable — not solely inside a fence line but additionally exterior. We wish our offenders to have the ability to exit and reside as a lot of a standard life as you and I reside. We now have a variety of programming, now we have an ideal programming division,” he stated.
“It is like if you put a automobile on an meeting line. If that automobile will get off the meeting line with out a headlight, with out a steering wheel, with out a rear left tire, it most likely will not promote. Identical factor (for) an inmate. Inmate is available in, we work with them to find out what they want. Do they want a highschool diploma GED? Do they want life abilities lessons? Do they want therapeutic communities to beat their addictions? So we help them in what lessons to go to.”
However Turley additionally notes that it’s nonetheless jail. The purpose for the brand new advanced shouldn’t be solely to offer inmates extra alternatives, however use developments in safety know-how to extra effectively handle inmates, together with offering extra direct supervision.
Inmates in most safety can solely go away their cells for 90 minutes each different day and should have their fingers and toes restrained each time they’re exterior their cells.
“These are tough people,” he stated.
Within the most safety cells, there are elevated management rooms the place officers monitor the inmates. Normally inhabitants, officers shall be with the inmates across the clock. This direct supervision fashion “permits officers to immediately work together with inmates to deal with points earlier than they escalate. These trendy supervision enhancements have been proven to scale back violence in prisons, improve programming and reduce sexual assaults,” in accordance with the Division of Corrections web site.
In keeping with Turley, line of sight is “essential” when constructing a jail, which is why the brand new advanced was constructed to permit for a “direct supervision” fashion.
The entire primary entrances to the buildings on the lads’s facet of the jail exit onto what has been dubbed “Fundamental Avenue,” an extended paved highway that stretches from one finish of the jail to the opposite. The brand new jail’s lone guard tower is on the finish of Fundamental Avenue and has a direct view of the whole road. The tower can also be within the line of sight of the jail’s primary management room, which additionally overlooks Fundamental Avenue from the center of the road.
“Each time there may be motion (of inmates), there may be good line of sight each time they arrive out of the constructing,” Turley stated.
Along with direct supervision, Turley stated the jail’s many traces of protection additionally embrace rovers strolling the grounds and a number of alarm techniques contained in the fences.
“We’re enthusiastic about it,” he stated of the brand new jail. “Will probably be higher for employees, higher for inmates. It should enhance our operations, the best way we function, to be extra environment friendly.
“Numerous thought has gone into this over the previous six years with architects, contractors, consultants. This is not only a five-, six-, seven-man present.”
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Utah
Utah Made: Multi-generational ladder company still going strong
![Utah Made: Multi-generational ladder company still going strong](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3580e15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x672+0+24/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx-default-stgec.uplynk.com%2Fause%2Fslices%2F566%2Fef205c0e5ea14d77944cbd6904335118%2F5665d67a422b4bcd8d819beb96c163fc%2Fposter_90693891642a4b1292d2fdbcbc19dcc2.jpg)
SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Art Wing still fondly remembers when his late dad Hal Wing, the founder of Little Giant Ladders, said: “If you concentrate on building the company and not the person, you will fail. If you concentrate on building the person, the company will take care of itself.”
That motto is still at Little Giant’s core today.
In the early 1970s, Hal was a salesman living in Germany, forging a friendship with an inventor who created a ladder that Hal thought was a technological marvel. He took the idea back to the United States, perfecting it and pattening it before heading out on the road.
“He bought a pinto station wagon and he loaded it with ladders, and he went on the road upwards of 250 days a year just selling them out of that thing,” Art recalled.
Art says the roadshow worked, and people quickly took note of their sturdy ladders and all they could do.
In 2002, Little Giant Ladders climbed to new heights by hitting television screens all over the country with an infomercial that often ran late at night and on weekend afternoons. It was a catchy ad that ran for 16 years and racked up sales of over a billion dollars in ladders sold.
Today, the Little Giant brand continues where it started, calling Utah home.
Company president and CEO Ryan Moss says the Beehive State is headquarters for good reason.
“We have great people here in the state of Utah. Honestly, that is one of the best blessings about Little Giant, is the wonderful people that we get to work with every single day,” Moss said. “They’re hardworking, they’re smart, they’re creative.”
While Utah is the Little Giant premier factory, the company has facilities and warehouses all over the world, working to keep their standards and safety high. Globally, Little Giant employs several thousand people, together taking a small idea to a huge enterprise and stepping up the ladder of success with no end in sight
Utah
Warning issued after harmful algal bloom found at Utah Lake marina
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — A Warning Advisory has been issued for an area along Utah Lake after a harmful algal bloom was detected Tuesday.
The City of Saratoga Springs said the bloom was found present at the Saratoga Springs, and could be producing dangerous toxins that would be harmful to humans and animals.
The Utah County Health Department issued the warning, advising people to do the following when in the vicinity of the marina:
- Do not swim or water ski
- Avoid areas of algae when boating
- Clean fish well and discard guts
- Keep animals away
- Don’t drink the water
Algal blooms can cause skin, nerve and liver damage,
Utah
2025 three-star defensive back Manny Fuller commits to Utah
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Utah’s football program, led by coach Kyle Whittingham, continues its impressive recruitment streak with the commitment of Shelton “Manny” Fuller, a three-star safety from El Paso, Texas. Fuller, the 11th commitment to wrap up June, and the 13th for the 2025 class, which adds significant value to the team’s defensive lineup.
Fuller, who visited Salt Lake City earlier this month, had also considered Houston, BYU, and Oregon State before deciding on Utah. He was Initially planning to commit in August, but announced his decision early via Instagram.
Fuller was ranked as the No. 44 athlete in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. At 6-feet and 170 pounds, he’s known for his versatility and physicality on the field. Without question his combination of strong ball skills with an aggressive playing style, particularly excelling in run defense. As he continues to develop physically, his tackling power is expected to improve, enhancing his already notable defensive capabilities.
Utah hits three of the biggest lists for EA Sports College Football 25
Fuller’s commitment marks the ninth defensive player for Utah in 2025, joining a robust group of recruits including quarterback Wyatt Becker, tight end Drew Clemens, and several defensive standouts like Nela Tupou and Max Fonoimoana. With this strong early recruitment drive, Utah is building significant momentum and positioning itself for a successful future.
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