Denver Mayoral Race: Jails
While Denver’s population has grown by 20 percent since 1980, its jail population has tripled.
In 2005, when voters approved the bond project that funded construction of the new Denver Justice Center and is now funding the expansion of the Denver County Jail, Denver jails were overcrowded to a dangerous degree. Since then, however, the local jail population has decreased.
Currently, approximately 900 inmates can be held in the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility, nearly 900 in the County Jail, and up to 1,500 in the Denver Justice Center downtown, which also includes dozens of courtrooms as well as medical and intake facilities.
According to the Denver Sheriff Department, the Denver County Jail, built in 1956, is the largest county jail “in the Rocky Mountain region.” The facility’s current renovations are slated to include a seven-story housing facility that will bring the total number of available beds at the County Jail to approximately 1,250. Critics of the project state at its completion the city will have thousands more prison beds than it’s projected to need.
The following insights into how each candidate stands regarding Denver’s prison system and related issues such as judicial sentencing reform are gathered from comments either made at recent campaign events or published on-line or in printed campaign materials. Candidate names are listed in the order in which they appear on the ballot.
Michael Hancock
Bottom line:
None available
On his campaign website:
No mention of Denver jails
In his campaign flyer:
No mention of Denver jails
Issue-specific ideas or solutions presented at March 24 and April 6 events:
No mention of Denver jails
Issue-related comments:
None available
Experience Potentially Related to this Issue:
• City Councilman 2003-Present
--President 2006-2008
Chris Romer
Bottom line:
None available
On his campaign website:
No mention of Denver jails
In his campaign flyer:
No mention of Denver jails
Issue-specific ideas or solutions presented at March 24 and April 6 events:
None
Issue-related comments:
None
Experience Potentially Related to this Issue:
• Senator 2007-2010
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