Inmates move into new county jail

Inmates move into new county jail

Nov 10, 2001

INMATES ARE MOVED from the old jail into the new, 110-bed detention center early Thursday morning. The transfer, which was kept secret for security reasons, went smoothly, officials say.

by Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

Before the sun came up Thursday morning, the new Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center was up and running at full throttle as inmates settled into their new cells.

According to MCSO Detective Lt. Kalvin Boggs, 100 inmates were moved to their new accommodations just across the way from the old jail at approximately 5 a.m.

"We walked them over in groups no bigger than 20 or 25," Boggs said. "They were shackled with leg chains."

The transfer took place without incident, Boggs said.

The sheriff’s office was highly secretive as to when the move would take place, only telling the public it would happen in November.

"We didn’t want anyone knowing — especially the inmates," Boggs explained. "For us it’s a safety issue that nobody was out there waiting for them, trying to help them escape or basically make our lives harder by wanting to talk to them. We kept it really on the QT."

The old jail had for some time been operating well above its 46-inmate capacity. The new jail, with 110 beds, more than doubles the old jail’s holding capacity, Boggs said.

"They’re in the process of settling in and acclimating to their new environment, hopefully for the better," Boggs said. "They’re coming out of a very crowded, run-down facility to a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility."

The old jail will be remodeled and utilized for a detox center and work-release inmates in the near future. Boggs said the old jail will be ready for business in six or eight months.