The Arapahoe County Detention Center had an average daily population of 920 individuals in 2023 — nearly three times the original capacity of the building built in 1986. Now, it will be expanded to meet those ever-growing needs.

The $46.4 million expansion project — using mostly federal funds from the American Rescue Plan — will add space for medical and behavioral healthcare and increase the size of the jail’s kitchen and laundry.

“The needs of the people who are in custody have changed. We’re not warehousing individuals anymore — we’re treating them,” Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said at a Board of Commissioners briefing on Nov. 30.

“This project is a culmination of changing ideas and philosophies. We need to make sure we are meeting those needs.”

The small size of the detention center has led to difficulty treating mental health and observing those in need, like suicide watch, according to a press release by Arapahoe County.

The new building — looked to be completed by December 2025 — will allow the jail to move its kitchen and laundry, creating 39 new medical and behavioral health beds. Right now, the jail only has around 20 medical beds for inmates.

Arapahoe County attempted to raise funds for a new jail through Ballot Measure 1A, proposing to increase property tax in the county by $46 million per year. It was rejected by voters.

Jared Rowlison, bureau chief of the Detention Center, says the expansion is just a small relief for an ongoing issue.

“This project will be that Band-Aid, if you will, to get us to that threshold where hopefully, at that point, we can really seriously look at replacing this facility,” he said at the briefing.

“Despite a long record of responsible budget management, current revenues coupled with anticipated growth will make it challenging for the County to continue funding not just these types of critical infrastructure projects, but also provide important services our residents rely on,” Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully said.

“That’s why the Board remains committed to engage our community and gauge support to secure sustainable funding for the county.