• 13
  • May
    2010

Budget constraints and a jail population that exceeds the facility's limits have caused Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County to reconsider which inmates need to serve their sentences in the jail proper and who could be moved to the less secure Alternative Sentencing Unit (ASU). Non-violent offenders such as those with repeat or felony DUI convictions will be moved to the ASU.

As reported for the Loveland Connection, repeat DUI offenders would be allowed to work during the day and serve their sentences by spending nights and weekends at the facility.

The Larimer County Detention Center houses both convicts and people who are charged with crimes who are being held on bond. The current population is made up of approximately 40 percent pre-trial detainees and 60 percent convicts, according to Gary Darling, Larimer County's director of criminal justice services.

Both the County and DUI Offenders Could See Benefits

Larimer County has been dealing with budgetary constraints and increases in the jail population for years. At the same time, Gary Darling reports that the county has a much lower incarceration rate than the state's average - 40 percent lower.

Sheriff Alderden says that the detention center is intended to house no more than 460 inmates. The facility has been overcrowded, housing approximately 500 inmates since January.

Holding inmates in the ASU is less expensive than keeping them in the detention center. Moving non-violent offenders to the ASU, along with other alternative sentencing initiatives such as mandatory attendance in drug or alcohol treatment programs, is a key strategy for holding down costs.

These programs are also much less disruptive to the lives of non-violent offenders, giving them the opportunity to continue in their employment and contribute to society while they serve their sentences. That could have long-term benefits because offenders don't end up leaving jail with no employment or community connections that could allow them to reintegrate into society.

"The important thing is they'll still be in the custody of the sheriff," Alderden said in the Loveland Connection report.

Jail Space Is a Consideration in DUI Sentencing

Stephen Schapanski, chief judge of the 8th District, the trial courts serving Jackson and Larimer counties, recognizes the need for judges to be aware of space constraints in the local jails even as they make their decisions based on the individual circumstances of each case. In the Loveland Connection article, he expressed his confidence that judges are making their decisions appropriately.

"We're considering what is good, effective, safe, fair pre-trial release and bond supervision and what is a good sentence for anyone who is sentenced to the detention center," he said.

Related Resource:

"Repeat DUI offenders to move out of jail" (Loveland Connection via Fort Collins Coloradoan, May 10, 2010)