The proposed $378 million Denver justice center shouldn’t be viewed as an either-or issue by voters on Election Day Tuesday.
Opponents of the plan to build a new 1,500-bed jail and 35-courtroom complex on the 400 and 500 blocks of West Colfax Avenue argue that the the city wants too much jail space. Instead, they say, the city should explore innovative alternatives to incarceration, such as programs to help mentally ill inmates break the cycle of repeat offenses.
But such arguments don’t really answer the question of how to develop alternatives to jail and still protect public safety.
To his credit, Mayor John Hickenlooper has committed to finding more ways to avoid incarceration. The city already spends about $14.6 million a year on alternative sentencing and diversion programs, and the mayor has pledged to increase funding by several million during coming years.
Alternatives are important at a time when 2.1 million U.S. residents (1 of every 138 people) are either in jail or prison.
We, too, support alternatives to locking up offenders or those who have been accused of crimes, but it’s important to strike a careful balance.
The inescapable fact is that the Denver County Jail on Smith Road, built in 1954 and expanded in the 1990s, is overcrowded, outmoded and dangerous. It must be replaced. With a capacity of 1,500, the jail often holds 2,100 or more. The city’s plan, which includes renovating Smith Road to hold inmates serving jail time after conviction, takes future as well as current space needs into consideration.
Holding prisoners awaiting court action downtown will end the logistical and security problem of busing them there for court dates in the City and County Building. Also, Denver’s cramped criminal courts need more space. Suggestions for using existing vacant city space seem impractical.
The correct answer to the question, “Should Denver build a new jail or opt for more alternative sentencing?” is “Both.”
So, city residents should vote “yes” on Referendum 1A. And while you’re at it, vote “yes” on Referendum 1B to merge the Glendale and Denver fire departments, saving money for citizens of both cities.
