VOLUME 37 • NUMBER 31 • JUNE 27, 2019
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Arapahoe County in desperate need of new jail The Arapahoe County Long Range Planning Committee (ACLRPC) is a 25-member panel of residents, business leaders and nonprofit executives formed by the Board of County Commissioners to study and help guide decisions about future county needs. The committee is focused on long-term transportation issues and future infrastructure requirements at the Arapahoe County Justice Center. They are also being briefed on the county’s use of open space tax dollars. The most pressing need appears to be replacing the county jail.
The current status of the facility
In a presentation to the ACLRPC on June 11 at CentrePoint Plaza in Aurora, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Bureau Chief of Detention Services Vince Line outlined why the Arapahoe County Detention Facility is in dire need of replacement. On June 17 the committee met again to ask questions and get more information. Built in 1986 for 386 inmates, the jail currently holds around 1,200. Due to ongoing efforts to pre-
vent unnecessary incarceration for lesser offenses through lower bonds, pretrial diversion, home detention, alternative sentencing and calling (now texting) to remind people about their court dates, the jail population is now comprised of detainees charged with more severe crimes. Many also have significant mental health issues and there are only 20 cells designed for those with acute medical or behavioral issues. Line estimates 40 percent of inmates have mental health issues. That excludes anyone with a substance abuse problem, which the sheriff’s office does not classify as a mental health disorder. Line explained that recent changes in Colorado law allowing certain drug-related charges to be reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors under specified conditions has put additional pressure on county jails, since they house misdemeanor offenders while state prisons usually house those convicted of felonies. As the inmate population has grown, the support services areas, including kitchen, laundry, and medical treatment facilities have not been expanded since the Continued on page 3
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PUTTING THEIR BEST SCHOOL FORWARD
Kent Denver graduates, starting a new tradition, show off which schools they’ve picked by wearing their school colors and logos on their socks. See more graduation photos on page 8.
Photo by Felicia Ho
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