Lawmaker proposes more beds for state prison in Gunnison
Jan 29, 2026, 2:42 PM
The Central Utah Correctional Facility, in Gunnison. (Google Maps, Lynn Sessions)
(Google Maps, Lynn Sessions)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers are now considering adding more beds to one of the state’s prisons.
State Representative Karianne Lisonbee submitted a request to lawmakers to budget $130 million in taxpayer money to add just under 800 beds to the state prison in Gunnison.
She said both the Gunnison and Salt Lake prisons are collectively sitting at 91% capacity right now, and if they do nothing, they’re expected to be full sometime in the next few years.
“There are people serving life sentences that should be in prison, that are being released because of the numbers, so we need to make sure that those people that need to be incarcerated are to keep Utahns safe,” she said.
Lisonbee said another issue is that the new prison in Salt Lake City has about one thousand fewer beds than the one in Draper did, and she said that’s because our population grew more than they were expecting when they made the plans for the new prison.
Lisonbee said expanding Gunnison would solve the capacity problem for the next 10 years.
Lawmakers will make a final decision on this when they finalize the budget towards the end of the Legislative Session.
