Annual Report
Executive Director Message
It has been a period of great change at the Utah Department of Corrections in the last two years.
First and foremost: In 2022 the UDC moved from the antiquated Utah State Prison – originally opened in 1951 – to the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. Over 1,600 incarcerated offenders were seamlessly moved over five days without issue. A great debt is owed to our allied law enforcement agencies, who contributed staff and equipment to the effort. The move took years of detailed planning and required meticulous execution. My deepest gratitude goes out to the men and women responsible for this success.
The move was only the start. Innovations have come to every framework of the UDC itself. Our leadership and staff have taken a deep dive into how we operate and what would be needed to meet our ultimate goal of successfully introducing individuals incarcerated or under our supervision back into society.
With this in mind, the Department has restructured in 2023, remaking itself into an agency best suited for creating a safer Utah and meeting the expectations of Utah residents.
As part of this, the Department has crafted new Mission, Vision and Values utilizing feedback from our staff. They are listed in this publication, but they are more than words, they are the very foundation of how the UDC will operate in the future.
Thanks to Gov. Spencer Cox, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and the Utah State Legislature, the UDC’s ability to recruit and retain staff has greatly improved since 2022. We are now fully staffed at the Central Utah Correctional Facility, and are trending toward that goal at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
The Department is on a positive trajectory. While challenges will always be a part of the corrections profession, we are confident that the UDC is situated to provide superior service to Utahns into the future.
Our deepest appreciation to the amazing staff of the Utah Department of Corrections for their dedicated work in protecting communities and transforming lives. Society is a better place because of their willingness to serve.
- Jared Garcia, Executive Director