A system under stress: Audits paint troubling portrait of Salt Lake County’s criminal justice network

Last year, the state Legislative Audit Subcommittee requested performance audits of the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, and due to operational ties, audits of the Salt Lake City Police Department, Salt Lake County Jail and Salt Lake County’s Criminal Justice System were also performed.

The findings uncovered a countywide law enforcement ecosystem facing severe structural stress.

The report of the criminal justice system “found fragmented coordination among Salt Lake County’s independently elected leaders, leading to accountability gaps for repeat criminal offenders,” and provided ”recommendations for the Legislature to consider to improve oversight, coordination and strategies to reduce recidivism while maintaining accountability.”

Here is a review of key findings in each performa