Thousands of Johnson County residents will soon receive a survey by mail seeking public input on the current and future state of the county’s Sheriff’s Office and Jail facility.
The survey, developed in partnership with the University of Iowa’s Center for Social Science Innovation, will be sent to a representative sample of 3,859 residents across the county. It aims to gauge public opinion on the aging facility and explore broader community attitudes toward public safety, justice system trust, mental health support, rehabilitation, and infrastructure investment.
Questions will assess residents’ familiarity with the existing facility, perceptions of its condition, and support for constructing a new building. The survey will arrive in envelopes bearing the University of Iowa logo and include a $1 cash incentive to encourage participation. Each survey can be completed by mail or online via a QR code and is expected to take less than 15 minutes to complete.
The county hopes to achieve at least a 10% response rate. CSSI will oversee data collection and analysis, and responses will remain confidential, a release stated.
Johnson County officials have long acknowledged the deteriorating condition of the Sheriff’s Office and Jail, but past efforts to fund a replacement through public referendum have failed to gain sufficient support.
“Any successful proposal will require broad community support, and this survey is one way in which we want to ensure our work aligns with community values and expectations,” said Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green.
