Aurora officials claim convicted criminals continue to be turned away from the Adams County jail because of a cap instituted by the sheriff years ago due to a reduction of staff after budget cuts.
Since April 18, six would-be inmates were refused, according to a news release from the city of Aurora. Their convictions were all misdemeanors, but five of the six have felony records, according to the release.
This hot button issue has resulted in a lawsuit filed by Aurora and strong criticisms from some county police chiefs.
In the past, inmates turned away due to the cap have been housed in other county jails, such as Denver.
It is unclear if any of the six since April 18 were taken in by other facilities.
Calls to the Adams County Sheriff were not immediately returned. Previously, Sheriff Douglas Darr said inmate numbers must be managed for the safety of his staff.
Ryan Parker: 303-954-2409, rparker@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ryanparkerdp
