It should come as no surprise that Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher the city jail is seriously mismanaged and ripe for reform.
His audit, released Thursday, noted multiple failures ranging from understaffing to less than robust reporting of use-of-force incidents.
It’s a mess, and that opinion has been the impetus for a half-dozen reviews and audits, two of which are due this spring.
Yet, Stephanie O’Malley, the city’s public safety executive director, is right in warning against taking actions until the work of two outside consulting firms is finished.
That’s the appropriate time to craft a careful rehabilitation plan to bring jail operations up to par.
And while Gallagher’s audit undoubtedly hits the mark on some points, it should not be the last word on how to chart a new course for the city’s troubled jail.
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