The El Paso County Jail, located at 2739 E Las Vegas St., is at a critical point in managing the inmate population as it reached record highs today of 1,791.  “The only jail in El Paso County is bursting at the seams,” says Sheriff Bill Elder of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.  The last record was set in September of 2016 with 1,781 inmates.  At today’s population, the jail is at a critical place in which the Sheriff and the staff are feeling the pressures of too many inmates and not enough space or personnel. 

The population of the jail has steadily increased over the past five years seeing the daily population increase from 1,375 inmates in 2012 to 1,791 as of today.  Those numbers impact the safety of both staff and inmates as it increases the likelihood of fights and assaults within the jail.

“Building a new jail or adding to the existing facility is just not an option for us,” says Sheriff Elder.  “My jail Command Staff and I are working to find ways to manage our jail population including moving inmates to other facilities within the state.”  “My number one priority is the impact this situation has on our deputies in the jail.  We will continue to focus on jail staffing until we find a more permanent solution.”