The Johnson County Board of Supervisors recommended the University of Iowa Center for Social Science Innovation, or CSSI, conduct a survey to gain community perspective on the sheriff’s office and jail project on Wednesday.
CSSI provides researchers across campus and within the community with the tools, resources, and support they need to investigate the most important issues of society. These issues are based on four core priorities: research incubation, survey and multi-methodology research services, grant development programming, and communication and dissemination.
In February, the Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee received a presentation from the organization that consisted of several potential ideas for the county to contract with them to provide surveys and facilitate focus groups. These surveys and focus groups would help better develop a sheriff’s office and jail facility.
The committee recommended the Board of Supervisors pursue such a contract if financially feasible.
The full proposal would include 400 mail surveys, six 90-minute focus groups with roughly six participants each, in total costing over $77,000. A medium-cost proposal would be 400 phone surveys, focus groups, and would cost approximately $47,000. A focus-group-only proposal would amount to around $33,000.
Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz hopes the proposal they agree to is going to be followed through.
“If we get feedback that says any range of things, is that going to influence the design of what we’re proposing?” Fixmer-Oraiz asked. “If it isn’t actually going to inform what we’re doing, then, what are we doing?”
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By the end of 2025, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and jail facility is expected to have renovations completed. These renovations consist of a new roof, a new heating system, a ventilation system, air conditioning, exterior doors, and drainage systems, costing more than $3 million. But inspections from 2022 revealed the building should be demolished.
Fixmer-Oraiz said they worry if focus groups are worth doing or if the committee should just stick to a survey. Fixmer-Oraiz added that having people meet in person may not do much more than the survey will.
“I don’t want to waste people’s time. I want to make sure that we’re spending our taxpayer dollars accurately,” Fixmer-Oraiz said.
Supervisor Mandi Remington asked for a two-part contract in which one contract is for the survey and a second contract can be made if focus groups are of interest.
Ethan Rogers, associate director of CSSI, confirmed the sampling framework will still be included in the survey to decipher which people who complete the survey would be interested in participating in the focus group.
The point of having that framework involved is to make sure that if focus groups are needed, CSSI will be equipped to complete them.
At next week’s work session, the Board of Supervisors will discuss forming a subcommittee to discuss the second part of the contract.