The city of Durango has reached a deal with Archuleta County that will allow Durango’s municipal inmates to be housed at the Archuleta County Jail in Pagosa Springs.
Durango City Council will consider the agreement at its next regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday.
The housing of municipal inmates has been a point of contention since August, when La Plata County informed the city it would no longer house people facing lower-level municipal charges at the county jail unless a new agreement was reached covering more of the county’s liability, among other sticking points. The Board of County Commissioners formally canceled its contract with the city, effective Dec. 26. That decision prompted the city to file two lawsuits against La Plata County, and the two parties have since failed to reach an agreement.
The city said it would temporarily hold municipal inmates in its four holding cells after negotiations stalled.
Archuleta County wants to charge $110 per day for per inmate, 44% less than the $198 the La Plata County Jail had requested, City Manager José Madrigal said in a news release Friday.
The agreement requires the city to handle inmate transportation to and from the jail, creating costs beyond the $110 daily rate. The city would pick up inmates and bring them back to Durango upon completion of their jail sentences, according to a city spokesman.
Roughly 55 miles east of Durango, the drive to Pagosa Springs takes about an hour. Durango would be required to provide transportation. The cost of fuel and police officers’ time has not been calculated into the city’s estimated jail expenses.
An agreement with Archuleta County would likely save money regardless, said Tom Sluis, the spokesman for the city of Durango.
The agreement covers the housing of inmates who have been sentenced to jail time in municipal court. That’s a somewhat rare occurrence, Sluis said, given that the low-level offenses handled there rarely warrant such a sentence.
Durango Police Chief Brice Current said the jail’s main purpose is to act as a deterrent against repeat offenders, but jail time is rarely used.
“The little bit of extra gas, the little bit of extra time, is completely worth it to be able to really protect our citizens and be able to stop negative behavior,” Current said.
Current said the city has the ability to hold municipal offenders detained on warrants who have not yet been sentenced in city holding cells.
The Archuleta County contract has a term of two years, with the option to renew for another two years. Archuleta County has said it is willing to hold a maximum of six inmates at a time.
The city of Durango would retain responsibility for any records requests. (This was a sticking point for the city in previous negotiations with La Plata County).
Durango City Council is scheduled to vote on the agreement at a meeting Tuesday. The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners must still approve the terms of the agreement.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
