Today, during a Working Session at City Hall for the Colorado Springs City Council, Sheriff Joseph Roybal, Detentions Behavioral Health Manager Laura Ridenour, and Detention Support Division Commander Eric Carnell gave a presentation to members of the Council as to the status of those incarcerated who are homeless, suffering from addiction, or mentally ill.
“I am confident and proud to say,” said Sheriff Roybal during the presentation, “upon release, those who are incarcerated leave the El Paso County Jail healthier and with more resources than they had upon entering our facility.”
During the meeting, members of the City Council asked several questions. They learned about the collaborative relationships our Office maintains with our community partners and the multiple ways we work to ensure those who are incarcerated receive optimal care while in custody and upon their release.
“My staff has done an outstanding job at building programs allowing for rapid diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for those suffering from mental health issues, homelessness, and drug addictions within our community. The average stay for an incarcerated individual in El Paso County is 32 days, which means we are charged with caring for our neighbors, family members, and local workforce as they will eventually return to our community. Our detention staff does a fantastic job caring for those in our custody. I am extremely grateful for their dedication and hard work.”
On average, in 2024:
-60% of the incarcerated population reports having a mental health-related concern.
-26% of the incarcerated population reports being homeless.
-37% of the incarcerated population receives psychotropic medication treatment.
-In addition to the 37% receiving psychotropic medication treatment, 10% are recommended to receive psychotropic medication treatment but refuse.
In 2024, our Jail Based Behavior Providers led 480 Substance Disorder Group Meetings with 3,037 participants.
-3,047 incarcerated individuals had a comprehensive treatment plan prepared upon release.
-808 incarcerated individuals received NARCAN upon release as a preventative measure.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office currently partners with the following mental health resource providers: Achieve Whole Recovery, NAMI Colorado Springs, Diversus Health, Common Spirit Penrose-St. Francis Health Foundation, Serenity Recovery Connection, Helping Hands, El Paso County Public Health, Westside Cares, Peak Vista, Mission Medical, Springs Recovery Connection, SET Clinic, Peer Connect, Mt. Carmel Veterans Center, State of Colorado, and more.
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