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Utah prison list down to four as cities opt out

Owners of land pulled out of running after community strongly opposed relocation of prison near their homes

By C1 Staff

SALT LAKE CITY — The decision for the new location of a state prison in Utah is down to four locations, as public outcry took one option off the list.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that two brothers who owned land in West Jordan pulled out of the running when their local community strongly opposed the relocation of a correctional facility near their homes.

The Tribune reports that it’s unlikely that the Department of Corrections would have selected West Jordan as the site of the relocation since the city and state are currently in negotiations for a potential business relocation on land close to the potential prison site.

Boeing, a company with property in the same area, also voiced opposition to being near a new 4,000-bed correctional facility.

State Sen. Jerry Stevenson said he wants to work with a willing seller rather than resorting to eminent-domain laws to take land from a private owner.

The four remaining sites include one in Eagle Mountain, one in Toole County, and two in Salt Lake City, near the international airport.