The Johnson County Criminal Justice committee is making changes to start fresh.

By Kenyon Ellsworth
[email protected]

A county committee will wipe the slate clean and start its membership from scratch.

The Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee is turn-ing over in hopes of improving efficiency and diversity, with more representation of stakeholders across the county.

“This is a great opportunity to reinvent ourselves,” the Johnson County chief prosecutor Janet Lyness said. “We should be looking to stakehold-ers, community officials, municipalities [and] community members … and really look at what else we could be doing on this committee.”

The goal in restructuring the committee and reappointing new members is to give it new life and map out an action plan. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors expressed support for the changes at a meeting Wednesday.

“We need a change of mind,” Supervisor Janelle Rettig said. “We need to create a roadmap.”

Many current committee members present at the meeting voiced adamant concern over the state of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, leading to the reset. Johnson County resident Larry Johnson said he felt the composition of the committee should be more varied.

“There should be several experts on each subcommittee, so there are facts as well as opinions,” he said.

Lyness expressed similar concerns, saying the current model is too coun-ty-focused.

“Maybe including all five members of the Board of Supervisors on the committee isn’t necessarily the greatest use of their time,” she said. “It probably also discourages other stakeholders from getting involved.”

Instead, she suggested looking at it as a community-based committee.

“I think it would be more successful,” she said. “Perhaps having all five supervisors on a facilities subcommittee would work, and then we wouldn’t have to get into the nitty-gritty work when everyone gets to-gether as a whole.”

The supervisors have proposed plans for new courthouse and jail facili-ties that have failed when put to the area voters. They are now working on a significantly scaled-back plan for a new courthouse secure entrance.

Focusing such discussion into the facilities subcommittee would poten-tially allow more action for the Criminal Justice Coordinating committee overall, committee members said.

“The discussion about space needs and safety of facility is different than criminal justice,” said Rettig. “We have invested tremendous dollar amounts into alternative treatment in the justice system and we have proof that it’s working. The public isn’t ready for a discussion about space.”

Lyness said she hopes to see different municipalities, law enforcement officials, leaders of various community organizations, public defenders, and community members represented on the new committee

A meeting to determine new committee members will take place, but the date for the meeting has not yet been set.