Public safety sales tax
Building
bridges to a brighter future
The Boulder County jail
was beyond capacity and desperately in need of more space in 2003.
County leaders recognized that building a bigger jail wouldn’t be
enough: in order to reduce overcrowding and truly make a difference in
the greater community, Boulder County needed programs and facilities
that could help keep offenders out of jail.
That year, voters approved a
.05-percent sales tax to fund a jail expansion, a new addiction recovery
center, and programs that reduce overcrowding and criminal recidivism.
Expansion of the Boulder County Jail was completed in spring 2005. The
expansion converted a jail recreation courtyard into 32 inmate rooms
with an adjacent dayroom and officer workstation. The rooms are double
bunked to accommodate 64 inmates, bringing overall jail capacity to
approximately 464 beds. |
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What: 0.05% sales tax to fund construction of a new Addiction Recovery
Center; jail expansion; and jail alternative programs such as
PACE
Adopted by voters: 2003
Expires: n/a (perpetual)
Estimated revenues in 2007:
$1.85 million
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Boulder County completed construction of a new, 10,000 square-foot Public Health
Addiction Recovery Center in October 2007. The facility replaced a 28-year-old
building that was outdated and overcrowded. The ARC provides
24-hour inpatient detox services for up to 20 clients, plus the
potential for a transitional residential program. The facility also
provides daily treatment support groups and sobriety monitoring services
for clients that are sober.
With those projects
completed, funds from the public safety tax will continue to be used to
fund
programs that reduce overcrowding and help keep offenders from returning
to jail. Programs include the award-winning PACE program, which provides
integrated treatment and diversion of mentally ill offenders.
Questions?
Email colist@bouldercounty.org
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