The most frequent charges were traffic-related, including driving under the influence. About 41 percent of the jails were overcrowded. Conditions were poor in many of the State's 54 county jails. Twenty-one of the jails had been sued for inadequate or unconstitutional conditions in the last 2 years. Many detention officers, particularly in rural departments, were in need of basic training. Most of the sheriffs interviewed felt that standardized jail records should be established. Most also regarded a statewide database for jails as important. Several sheriffs expressed concerns over medical treatment, especially the cost for individuals held in jail. Extensive recommendations, data tables, and appendixes presenting additional information on Colorado and on a fire and an inmate murder in other States are included.
Colorado Jails, 1982 - Populations and Conditions
NCJ Number
91611
Date Published
1983
Length
91 pages
Annotation
Of the 120,468 people held in county jails in Colorado between July 1981 and June 1982, 77 percent were pretrial admissions, 13 percent were sentenced, and 10 percent were other holds such as mental health holds and holds for other jurisdictions.
Abstract