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Show Criminal Justice Hearings Slated Citizens in southwestern Utah will be asked to voice their views on criminal sentencing, prosecution, incarceration, law enforcement, victims' rights, or any other aspect of Utah's criminal and juvenile justice process at either of two public meetings to be held soon. The first meeting is a public hearing to be held in the Library Seminar Room of Southern Utah State College on Thursday, July 12th, from 6 until 7:30 p.m. Governor Scott M. Matheson recently endorsed the hearing, and now he is planning to attend it himself. The second meeting will be held on Friday, July 13th, at 9:30 a.m. in the Washington County Courthouse. This meeting is especially for local city and county officials, although all interested citizens are also very welcome to attend. Other hearings such as these have been held throughout Utah during June and July in order to both better inform the public about critical criminal justice issues and to obtain feedback from participants. Mr. Craig L. Barlow, Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which is sponsoring the hearing, stated that the subject matter to be covered in the hearing includes all areas of the criminal and juvenile justice systems, including law enforcement, probation and parole, the courts, prosecution and defense, and corrections. Accordingly, citizens are encouraged to comment on any topic ranging from neighborhood crime prevention to the paroling of state prison inmates or comment on issues ranging from increasing police protection to adding new correctional facilities in the area. During the hearing, a brief new film depicting the criminal justice process in Utah will be shown; then, a Commission member will briefly speak about the critical criminal justice challenges and issues facing Utahns. Citizens and public officials at tending the hearing can express their views by writing down their concerns and ideas and submitting them to the Commission members at the hearing. There will also be an opportunity for those attending the hearing to voice their opinions orally. All in attendance will be asked to respond to a survey con cerning criminal justice issues. The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice was created last year by the State Legislature to act under the governor's auspices in coordinating the criminal and juvenile justice system in Utah. The Commission is also charged with the objective of ensuring philosophical agreement concerning goals of the criminal justice system. The Commission is comprised of 17 members, including: the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Directors of Corrections and Youth Corrections, Designates from the Bar, Statewide Association of Prosecutors, Sheriffs, and Chiefs of Police, a State Senator and Representative, a Citizens' Representative, a member from the Board of Pardons, a court administrator, and several other appointed officials representing public and private organizations involved in the criminal justice process. Accompanying the Commission at the hearing will be representatives of the Governor's Committee on Executive Reorganization. They will be presenting recommendations and soliciting comments concerning the reorganization of several state departments. |