Salt Lake City — The Utah Department of Corrections successfully moved 2,464 incarcerated individuals from the Utah State Prison in Draper to the new Utah corrections facility in Salt Lake City from July 11 through July 15.
“This transfer required tremendous forethought and coordination given the logistics and security concerns,” says Gov. Cox. “We offer our sincere thanks to Director Brian Nielson, the entire team at the Utah Department of Corrections, and the many other state and local agencies who helped for their professionalism and dedication. Ensuring a safe and secure move to our new state-of-the-art corrections facility was a monumental task and we congratulate everyone involved on a job well done.”
Outside agencies across the state stepped up to offer services as well, including:
- Utah Division of Technology Services
- Utah Highway Patrol
- Utah Department of Transportation
- Department of Natural Resources
- Unified Police
- Salt Lake County Sheriff
- Cache County Sheriff
- Utah County Sheriff
- Davis County Sheriff
- Kane County Sheriff
- Sevier County Sheriff
- Wasatch County Sheriff
“I cannot thank our staff enough for their professionalism and dedication during this historic event,” says Brian Nielson, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections. “Our team is grateful for the law enforcement agencies and other organizations who offered support in making this move happen.”
Incarcerated individuals were moved by bus, van, or car with consideration for safety, security, and medical-related needs. Upon arrival at the new facility, each incarcerated individual was given a complimentary commissary bag, which included an assortment of snacks and hygiene products. Operations moved efficiently each day, and most incarcerated individuals received their packed property the same day they arrived at the new facility.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t express gratitude to the incarcerated as well for their cooperation and patience during this event,” Nielsen says. “We recognize that for some of these individuals the prison in Draper has been their home for many years.”
The new facility features increased daylight for both incarcerated individuals and staff, greater access to programming opportunities, uncompromised security and safety, and normalization of life for the incarcerated individuals to aid them in re-entering society.
The Department anticipates that normal operations will resume at USCF on Monday, July 18, 2022.
Families and loved ones of the incarcerated can learn more about updated processes–including visiting, mailing address, and property–for USCF by visiting this page on the public website: https://corrections.utah.gov/move-to-uscf/