Utah State Correctional Facility

{{short description|Mixed security prison in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States}}

{{distinguish|text=Utah State Prison, the prison which it replaced}}

{{Infobox prison

| name = Utah State Correctional Facility

| image = USCF_Sunset.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| location =

| coordinates = {{coord|40|48|17|N|112|5|26.5|W|type:landmark_region:US-UT|display=inline,title}}

| status =

| classification = Minimum to Supermax

| capacity =

| population = 3,059

| population_as_of = February 2024{{Cite web |url=https://corrections.utah.gov/utah-state-correctional-facility/ |title=Utah State Correctional Facility |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Utah Department of Corrections |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724173959/https://corrections.utah.gov/utah-state-correctional-facility/ |archive-date=2024-07-24 |url-status=live}}

| opened = July 2022

| closed =

| former_name =

| managed_by = Utah Department of Corrections

| director = Brian Nielson

| governor =

| warden =

| street-address = 1480 North 8000 West

| city = Salt Lake City

| state = Utah

| zip = 84116

| country = United States

| website =

| prisoners =

| embedded =

}}

Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) is one of two prisons managed by the Utah Department of Corrections' Division of Prison Operations.{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/|title=Utah Department of Corrections Facilities|publisher=Utah Department of Corrections|access-date=March 31, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705224910/http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/|archive-date=July 5, 2007}} It is located in the northwestern corner of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It replaced the former Utah State Prison in July 2022.

Description

The new {{convert|1.3|e6sqft|e3m2|adj=on|abbr=unit}}, $1 billion facility is located at 1480 North 8000 West{{cite web|url=https://corrections.utah.gov/contact-us-2/|title=Contact Us|publisher=Utah Department of Corrections|access-date=July 16, 2022}} on {{convert|170|acres|ha}} north of Interstate 80, but is barely visible from the freeway.{{cite news|url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50441016/what-did-it-take-to-safely-transfer-2464-inmates-to-utahs-new-prison|title=What did it take to safely transfer 2,464 inmates to Utah's new prison?|last=Cortez|first=Marjorie|publisher=KSL-TV|location=Salt Lake City|date=July 15, 2022|access-date=July 16, 2022}}

The large prison complex houses both male and female prisoners in separate facilities. These facilities range from minimum security to supermax. Upon opening, 2,464 inmates were transferred from the former Utah State Prison. The Bear Facility houses men's general population, the Antelope Facility houses restricted men's population, the Currant Facility houses men's geriatric and mental health population, and the Dell Facility houses female inmates.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=446dtXWoHQw|title=USCF Video Tour|publisher=Utah Department of Corrections|date=June 8, 2022|access-date=July 16, 2022|via=YouTube}}

The Utah State Correctional Facility is the only prison in Utah authorized to carry out capital punishment, with executions carried out by lethal injection or firing squad (for death row inmates sentenced to death before May 2004 or if the state is unable to obtain the necessary lethal injection drugs within 30 days of a scheduled execution).[http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/HB0011.html HB0011] The first inmate to be executed in the facility was Taberon Honie on August 8, 2024; this was also the first execution in Utah since 2010.{{Cite news |title=Utah man put to death by lethal injection in state's first execution since 2010 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/utah-man-killed-woman-put-death-lethal-injection-112668485 |last=Schoenbaum |first=Hannah |date=2024-08-08 |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=ABC News}}

History

The former Utah State Prison was built in Draper in 1951. Since the former prison's erection, business parks and residential neighborhoods have developed the once rural area into a suburban one. Seeking the ability to offer better treatment options, the state legislature initiated a process to build a new prison, deciding it was best to relocate elsewhere. A study was completed in 2005 by Wikstrom Economic & Planning Consultants to determine if moving the prison would be feasible. The test of feasibility was whether or not the value of the real estate of the current location could support the cost of relocation. It was determined that the cost of relocating the prison far exceeded the value that could be realized from the sale of the Draper prison site.{{cite book|last=Wikstrom Economic & Planning Consultants|title=Evaluation of the Feasibility of Relocating the Utah State Prison|year=2005|publisher=Wikstrom Economic & Planning Consultants}} However, on August 19, 2015, a special session of the state legislature voted to move the prison to the northwest side of Salt Lake City.{{cite news |last= Winsolow|first= Ben|date= August 19, 2015|title= Utah State Legislature votes to move prison to SLC|url= http://fox13now.com/2015/08/19/lawmakers-vote-to-relocate-utah-state-prison-to-salt-lake-city/|access-date=August 20, 2015}}

The new facility was completed and the inmates from the former prison were transferred July 11–15, 2022. The former prison officially closed on July 15, 2022.

In March 2025 140 inmates at the prison were treated for scabies.{{Cite web |last=Ashcraft |first=Emily |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |title=140 inmates treated for scabies after 1 tests positive at Utah State Prison |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/51275593/140-inmates-treated-for-scabies-after-1-tests-positive-at-utah-state-prison- |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}}

Notable Inmates

Jodi Hildebrandt – serving four consecutive terms, which in practice means between 4 and 30 years total, at the parole board's discretion.{{Cite web |last=Breen |first=Kerry |date=2024-02-20 |title=Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in child abuse case - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ruby-franke-jodi-hildebrandt-sentenced-child-abuse-youtube-eight-passengers/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Offender Search |url=https://corrections.utah.gov/offender-search/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Utah Department of Corrections |language=en-US}}
Ruby Franke – serving four consecutive terms, which in practice means between 4 and 30 years total, at the parole board's discretion.{{Cite web |last=Breen |first=Kerry |date=2024-02-20 |title=Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in child abuse case - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ruby-franke-jodi-hildebrandt-sentenced-child-abuse-youtube-eight-passengers/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}{{cite web | url=https://corrections.utah.gov/offender-search/ | title=Offender Search }}
Megan Huntsman – serial perpetrator of neonatal infanticide serving 15 to life.