Crime & Safety

JeffCo Sheriff Announces New Jail Unit For Veterans

Cells in JeffCo Detention's Unit 1 are unlocked during the day so veterans in custody can have access to group therapy and other services.

GOLDEN, CO -- The Jefferson co. Sheriff's Office announced a new jail unit for veterans Friday, with a spokesman saying vets make better-behaved prisoners because they are accustomed to military order.

"Even in civilian life, veterans often follow a military-style discipline, regimen and routine," said Mark Techmeyer, the sheriff's office public affairs director, in a statement. "That capacity to heed the rules lends veterans-only units a relative peace and day-to-day manageability not typically seen among the general population of incarcerated persons."

The sheriff's office gave tours of the Jefferson County Detention Facility Veteran’s Unit 1 Friday. According to a Channel 7 report, up to 32 inmates will be placed in the unit, which is staffed by deputies who are also vets. Cells will be unlocked during the day, so inmates can participate in group therapy and other activities, the TV report said.

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El Paso Co. is the only other county with a detention center unit specifically for vets, Channel 7's report said.

Image via Pixabay

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