Boulder County says Joe Pelle Center remains below capacity amid jail backlog
County staff said the facility was using 189 of 253 theoretical beds, while dozens of people approved for community corrections were still waiting in jail or prison transfers.
Boulder County officials said the Joe Pelle Center was operating at 189 beds as of a July 7 work session, below its theoretical capacity of 253 because of building limits, gender-specific housing restrictions and needed upgrades.
Staff told county commissioners the center had a work-release wait list of six people at the end of May. They also said 23 people approved for community corrections were still in the county jail and 29 more were waiting to transfer from the Department of Corrections. According to staff’s presentation, the county planned mass intake days on July 15 and July 22 in an effort to get the work-release wait list below 30 days by the end of July.
Staff said the county has submitted a capital request to renovate the southeast wing, which they said would help the building reach full residential capacity, improve safety and workflow, and lower per-bed costs.
Finance staff said the center’s 2026 budget is about $10.7 million, including an $8.6 million general-fund subsidy. In meeting materials, they projected about $5.5 million in year-end spending if the facility does not fully ramp up, with roughly $3 million returned to the general fund.
Staff also outlined the subsidy at higher occupancy levels. They estimated it would be about $4.9 million if 2026 operations reach 90 work-release beds and 80 community-corrections beds, and about $5.9 million if 2027 operations reach 100 beds in each program. They said the per-bed cost is about $133.92 at current capacity and about $106.68 at full use.
The discussion took place during a Board of County Commissioners work session, which the county agenda described as informational rather than a formal vote.