County seeks residents’ views on building jail

An Arapahoe County citizen task force has agreed that securing a new county jail should be a priority for the county, along with providing expanded programming to help lower recidivism rates and offer more help for inmates who are experiencing mental and behavioral health problems.

The 25-member Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) advisory committee made the recommendations at its meeting Aug. 6. The committee consists of residents, business leaders, and nonprofit representatives.

Since being appointed in May, the committee members have been evaluating the best ways to balance the county’s infrastructure needs alongside its fiscal projections.

The Board of County Commissioners attended last week’s meeting to learn more about the committee’s research and findings.

The jail has long been recognized as having numerous and worsening problems, including overcrowding, that have made it more difficult to deal with the increase in inmates who have mental health and substance abuse issues.

The county jail was built in 1986 to house 386 inmates. Today it typically houses more than 1,100 inmates.

The jail’s support systems and services, such as the kitchen, laundry, and medical and mental health facilities, were never designed to handle that many inmates, and the overcrowding has also resulted in recurring failures in sewer, water, and electrical systems.

The jail’s booking and release center is similarly stressed. It was designed to accommodate 29 detainees but routinely holds up to 80 inmates.

Taken together, these conditions have created a difficult and unsafe environment for deputies and other staff at the jail as well as the inmates themselves.

Constructing a new jail would cost an estimated $464 million. To pay for the construction, the committee recommended the Board of County Commissioners consider a ballot measure that would require voters to approve a small increase in the county’s property tax rates.

The commissioners are holding a series of town halls to gather community feedback.

Questions and comments also can be emailed to the commissioners at Together@Arapahoegov.com.

To view a short video showing the conditions at the jail, visit Arapahoegov.com/2029/Public-Safetyin-Arapahoe-County.

Other infrastructure needs also are under review by the committee, including transportation and the county courthouse. Conti and Sharpe, South Glen Library, Room A

Aug. 20: 6:30-8 p.m., Commissioner Sharpe, Greenwood Village City Hall, Community Room

Aug. 22: 6:30-8 p.m., Commissioners Jackson and Holen, Aurora Central Library, Large Community Room 6:30-8 p.m., Commissioner Baker, Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, VIP Room

7-8 p.m., Telephone Town Hall