The cost of the proposed new justice center – $378 million, $600 million with interest – should give every voter pause about the need for the plan. In addition, the project may prove more damaging than helpful to Denver’s future in terms of sound investment of taxpayer dollars, downtown development and equitable justice.
We agree that the existing Smith Road jail is old, overcrowded and needs improvement. However, we adamantly disagree that the city needs to build a new, massive courthouse and jail. The city has ample vacant space that, if properly planned, can sensibly accommodate Denver’s courtroom and municipal office needs.
The questions voters should ask are: Is Referendum 1A the right solution at the right price? Is it a sound investment of taxpayer dollars? The answer to both is an emphatic “no.’
The proposal fails to consider these facts:
Arrests and jail bookings are down 33 percent since 1997.
The jail population is growing at a slow rate of 1.5 percent a year.
Two-thirds of the jail population is made up of pre-trial detainees. Most sentenced felons are housed in state prisons, not the Denver jails.
Of the projected population growth, only one- tenth of 1 percent per year will be in the crime-prone 18-34 age group.
Denver’s jail population can be effectively reduced through use of diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration for non- violent offenders.
These are proven, cost-effective measures for reducing reliance on confinement that, properly used, don’t put public safety at risk.
In short, the planning for the size of the jail lacks a comprehensive criminal justice policy analysis or court management assessment. The statistics and facts do not support jail expansion of 1,500 beds.
The construction costs of 1A are just the beginning of the financial impact on Denver taxpayers. The plan assumes that operating costs will simply be absorbed by general fund dollars without an additional burden to the taxpayer. The plan further assumes that both the expanded jail and courtroom facilities can be operated with the same staffing level, including sheriff’s and court personnel.
These assumptions might be good selling points for the well-funded campaign pushing this plan, but they are unrealistic. Denver taxpayers will eventually be asked to correct these assumptions, either with another mill levy or sales-tax increase. Denver’s recent experience of revenue deficits seems not to have been considered when planning 1A. Are we willing to risk further erosion of existing city services to pay for an unnecessarily large justice center?
For nearly four decades, Denver has undertaken an aggressive and successful endeavor to develop downtown. Each time voters have been asked to support that effort, we have funded the necessary infrastructure. Use of valuable downtown space for a massive jail detracts from those years of work.
For that reason, the Golden Triangle Arts District Neighborhood Association joins us in opposing 1A. While we concede that finding an acceptable location for a jail is not an easy task, Denver cannot let that challenge detract from its vision of a vibrant downtown that attracts visitors and tourists.
Supporters of 1A have raised the issue of equitable justice by making “humanity’ an underpinning of their argument. In fact, Mayor John Hickenlooper argues that the condition of our current jails renders Denver a less-than-civilized city. Again, we do not disagree that the Smith Road facility needs improvement. However, 1A places the Smith Road jail renovation last on the construction schedule.
Justice and humanity involve much more than the conditions of inmate confinement. A disproportionate segment of jailed individuals are persons of color or otherwise disenfranchised. To simply provide these individuals with more “humane’ confinement disguises the larger problem. A kinder, gentler jail does not translate into humanity, and better confinement accommodations do not afford civil rights.
Civil rights and human rights are achieved at the front end of the justice system, including fair police and judicial practices; meaningful alternatives for the homeless, the mentally ill and addicts; affordable bonding; and pre-trial services. Improvement in these areas will humanely and justly alleviate the problem of jail overcrowding.
We urge you to vote “no’ on 1A. It’s the wrong solution representing the wrong priorities at the wrong price to Denver taxpayers.
Rosella Gonzales is a 23-year resident of Northwest Denver and a community activist. Phil Cherner is a lawyer in private practice in Denver. For more information on Denver Voters for Responsible Spending, go to www.failthejail.org.
