Today, El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal, joined by 16 sheriffs from across Colorado, issued a formal letter to Governor Jared Polis calling for urgent action to resolve the Colorado Department of Corrections’ (DOC) inmate transfer backlog and the inadequate state reimbursement for housing state inmates in county jails.
In the letter, Sheriff Roybal and fellow Colorado Sheriffs warn that the prolonged delays in transferring DOC-sentenced inmates from county jails into DOC custody—combined with an outdated and underfunded per diem reimbursement rate—are creating a statewide public safety and fiscal crisis.
“County jails were never designed—or funded—to house state inmates for extended periods,” stated the Colorado Sheriffs. “Yet we’re being forced to expand capacity and stretch already limited staff to accommodate inmates who should be in state custody. This isn’t just unsustainable—it’s unfair to local taxpayers.”
The letter notes that the state’s current reimbursement rate of $77.16 per inmate per day falls far below the actual cost of housing an inmate, often leaving counties to absorb a shortfall of more than $60 per day per person. This financial burden is especially damaging to rural counties with smaller budgets and fewer resources.
Sheriff Roybal and the coalition of sheriffs are urging the Governor to take the following immediate actions:
- Expedite the reduction of the DOC transfer backlog through emergency bed capacity or contracted facilities;
- Adjust the per diem reimbursement rate to reflect true county costs;
- Invest in mental health treatment capacity to address court-ordered evaluations and transfers;
- Convene a meeting with Colorado sheriffs to collaboratively identify solutions.
“This is no longer a localized issue—it’s a statewide emergency,” the Sheriffs write. “We must work together—state and county leaders alike—to protect our communities, hold dangerous criminals accountable, and ensure the sustainability of our correctional systems.”
In addition to Sheriff Roybal, the letter was signed by sheriffs from the following counties: Teller, Pueblo, Douglas, Lake, Weld, Cheyenne, Montrose, Gilpin, Otero, Fremont, Grand, Archuleta, Kit Carson, Conejos, Garfield, and Costilla.
