JAIL NEEDS ASSESSMENT

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

Clear Creek County seeks proposals from qualified firms who possess knowledge, skills and experience in jail planning and operations to conduct a comprehensive jail needs assessment study. The purpose of this study is to develop a plan that will identify ways for meeting the need for the provision of a detention facility in the County. The Study should include a comprehensive review of the Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility and provide viable options for either total replacement, major renovations or options for closing including contracting or partnering with another agency for jail services.

The County will evaluate firms from material submitted in response to this RFP. All interested firms must complete a full proposal based on the scope of services specified in Section 4. The County may interview selected firms prior to making a final decision, based on a review of submitted proposals. The County reserves the right to modify the selection process based on information provided in the RFP submittals.

Please email your responses to:

Colton Rohloff

Clear Creek Deputy County Manager crohloff@clearcreekcounty.us

The deadline for submitting a Response is 4:00 p.m. local time on September 17, 2025.

Responses will be logged upon receipt. Responses received after the deadline will NOT be considered and will be returned unopened. All timely and properly prepared Responses will be considered for evaluation.

Forecast the Capacity Requirements of a New Jail

The consultant will forecast jail capacity requirements in five-year increments. The forecast will be broken out to show the space allocation requirements for each type of area that accommodates inmates, such as intake, infirmary, housing areas (maximum, medium, and minimum housing for males and females). Options for reducing and/or managing growth of the jail population should also be considered in the forecast. If major changes are imminent, such as new laws or addition of new industries, they should be acknowledged for their potential impact on the forecast.

The description of the forecast should be written so that members of the public can understand its relation to historical trends, growth of the county, changes in crime, options for controlling jail growth, and the recommended strategy for designing the facility to accommodate future expansion needs.

The consultant is expected to present his or her forecasting considerations and initial calculations to the Jail Assessment Team, and the County Board before finalizing the forecast. He or she should lay out the various options and considerations that require input and decision-making by the committee. The finalized forecast should incorporate the decisions and guidance about the various options and considerations that are provided by these County representatives.

Estimation of a Renovation of the Current Jail Facility

The consultant shall assess the feasibility and operational impacts of contracting with an external entity to provide jail facility services in lieu of County-operated detention services. This assessment must include identifying potential partner jurisdictions or agencies and conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. The analysis should evaluate impacts on the Sheriff’s Office, including patrol staffing needs, increased transport times, and the potential to repurpose a portion of the existing jail into a short-term holding facility. The consultant should also assess broader effects on County operations resulting from offsite detention, including implications for public safety, the ability of smaller municipalities to meet their confinement and processing needs, and the impact on the County and State court system.

Identification and Evaluation of Options for Partnering or Contracting with Another Agency for Jail Facility Services

The consultant shall assess the feasibility and operational impacts of contracting with an external entity to provide jail facility services in lieu of County-operated detention services. This assessment must include the identification of potential partner jurisdictions or agencies, along with a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. The analysis should address impacts to the Sheriff’s Office, including effects on patrol staffing, increased transport times, and the potential to repurpose a portion of the existing jail as a short-term holding facility.

The consultant shall also evaluate the broader impacts to County operations resulting from the use of an offsite detention facility. This includes the public safety implications for smaller

municipalities and their ability to meet confinement and processing needs, as well as the impact of no longer housing federal inmates. Further analysis must address potential effects on the Courts, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, and Probation.

SECTION 5. COMMUNICATION, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

The consultant IS expected to meet with the Jail Needs Assessment Team that consists of the Sheriff, County Manager, County Attorney, Deputy County Manager, and the Confinement Jail Captain. The first meeting should have the following four goals: (1) To familiarize the Jail Needs Assessment Team with the project activities, (2) To provide time for the Team to share insights that might help the consultant refine the project work plan, (3) To identify when various findings will be discussed with the Team, and (4) To establish a schedule when the consultant will appear before the Team and the Board of County Commissioners.

The consultant should provide a summary of monthly project activities and findings prior to, or at the time of meeting with the Team. In this manner, the final report should not contain any major recommendations about which the Team is unfamiliar. This will avoid unpleasant surprises and ensure that errors are not made by the consultant in the interpretation of data, etc. In the event that sensitive issues are encountered during the study, they should be discussed with the relevant criminal justice agency administrator before being presented to the Team.

The consultant should describe in the proposal how he or she will communicate with the public about the jail needs assessment. This description should indicate the approximate times of the meetings and their purpose. The consultant should also seek the preferences of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), during an initial meeting, about how to structure public communication and obtain input of the Jail Needs Assessment Team to help develop the specifics about contents of the communication.

The consultant should describe in the proposal the sections of the final report that might be anticipated at this time. Also, the proposal should indicate how the recommendations will be structured and what will be included. The final report should include an executive summary that is suitable for public distribution.

A rough draft of the final report should be submitted for review by the Jail Assessment Team. After the comments are returned by the County, the report should be finalized.

After submission of the final report, the Jail Needs Assessment Team will contact the consultant to establish a time when a summary presentation will be made to the BOCC in open session.

The selected executive search firm shall specialize in organizational assessments of local law enforcement confinement operations, with preference given to firms with specific experience evaluating jail facilities, as outlined in the Scope of Services. Proposing firms must demonstrate that they, or the principals assigned to the project, have successfully completed comparable engagements for organizations of similar size and complexity to the County. Proposals must include a detailed pricing structure outlining all fees and costs, with a clear explanation of how those costs are calculated. All proposals must remain valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days following the bid opening date. In addition, proposing firms must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of all applicable Colorado State Statutes related to confinement—including the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Colorado Jail Standards, jail operations, and inmate treatment

Clear Creek County is organized under the Colorado statutes and is comprised of 193 full-time equivalent employees. Its Board of County Commissioners ("Board") constitutes the legislative and policy body, with one member serving as the Chair, typically rotating annually. The elective officers include the three Commissioners, Assessor, Clerk & Recorder, Coroner, Sheriff, Surveyor and Treasurer. Each are elected on a partisan basis for four-year terms. The Commissioners are limited to two consecutive four-year terms. The County Manager is a contracted position that serves at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC)

The current detention facility suffers from multiple critical deficiencies that compromise operations, endanger safety, and fall short of modern correctional standards:

· Plumbing Failures: The facility’s plumbing system is deteriorating. Sewage pipe ruptures have occurred multiple times over the past decade, necessitating inmate evacuations and emergency repairs. Two active sewage lines located above the sally port leak spontaneously and repeatedly, posing significant health and liability risks.

· Compromised Structural Integrity: The aging concrete walls are severely degraded—so much so that inmates have breached them using rudimentary tools like toothbrushes. This presents an unacceptable threat to the safety of both inmates and staff.

· Outdated Heating and Electrical Systems: The heating system, last serviced in 2012, is fragile and could be severely compromised by any floor-level plumbing repairs. Additionally, the jail lacks a functioning intercom system; approximately 20 intercom units are inoperable and need replacement.

· Inadequate Storage and Program Space: The facility lacks sufficient storage for inmate property, food, and supplies. Space constraints also limit the availability of in-house programming. Female inmates are housed in an extremely limited area, which restricts appropriate classification and housing options.

· Limited Recreation Access: Due to the facility’s outdated design and spatial limitations, inmates have minimal access to indoor or outdoor recreation opportunities.

· Failing Security Infrastructure: Existing locking mechanisms are outdated and frequently malfunction. While hinges on all 50 cell doors were recently replaced, the added weight has caused many door frames to separate from the walls—creating serious and ongoing security vulnerabilities.

· Insufficient Holding Capacity: The facility has only three holding cells, an inadequate number for the volume and range of inmates processed. Individuals detoxing from substances or those on medical or suicide watch cannot be safely housed in the general population. As a result, staff must often use rooms intended for programs or attorney visits as makeshift holding areas. These rooms lack toilets and running water, elevating health risks and disrupting core services.

In addition to managing arrests in unincorporated Clear Creek County, the detention facility houses inmates from the municipal police departments of Idaho Springs, Georgetown, and Empire, as well as individuals detained by the Colorado State Patrol. On average, the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for 24 county inmates per day.

The Detentions Division operates with 26.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, including a Captain who oversees all facility operations. The jail maintains 24/7 coverage through two 12-hour shifts. The night shift is staffed with a minimum of three Deputies. The day shift also runs with a minimum of three Deputies, although optimal staffing includes four Deputies and one Sergeant to maintain safe and efficient operations.

Jail staff are responsible for intake and booking, supervision of inmates, transportation and medical escorts, fingerprinting services, and escorting inmates to and from court proceedings.