Golden – The Jefferson County Jail will house more federal inmates and shuttle them to court under a new agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The agreement, effective last week, should provide Jefferson County with about $860,000 more annually for housing the inmates and net nearly $110,000 in new revenue annually for transportation.
The U.S. Marshals Service has partnered with the county because of the proximity of the Jefferson County Jail to the federal courthouse in Denver, said Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink.
The U.S. Marshals Service has lodged its prisoners in Jefferson County since February 2002. The number has grown from the initial 32 inmates to a recent monthly average of 71. The new agreement increases the number to about 100 per month.
The higher number of prisoners, along with a rise in the daily rate to $70 from $65 per prisoner, will result in federal housing revenues increasing to nearly $2.52 million from $1.66 million.
The deal not only provides income for Jefferson County, but it’s a boon to federal authorities. “We have no more room,” said Ken Deal, chief deputy U.S. marshal for Colorado.
Every day, the U.S. Marshals Service in Colorado has to be ready to provide 250 to 600 beds for prisoners accused or convicted of federal crimes.
Deal said that has meant boarding prisoners in Jefferson, Clear Creek, El Paso, Douglas, Denver, Teller, Mesa and Pueblo counties.
Jefferson County is the most convenient for Denver federal court appearances – and thus the most cost-effective – Deal said.
“They’re just down the street.”
Taking in the federal boarders has helped the 1,300-inmate jail financially, since the cost of providing the service is “much, much less” than what is collected, said Jeffco sheriff’s Cmdr. David Walcher, who oversees detention services.
Walcher said that under the transportation contract, the county should realize about $103,000 for deputies’ time and $6,400 for mileage.
Mileage money will be used to pay for gas and vehicle maintenance.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
