City Council Approves Halfway House Expansion

Hopefully, concerns about accountability and transparency will be addressed as the halfway houses get larger.

Faced with a backlog of nearly 100 prisoners awaiting transfer to halfway houses too full to accept them, Denver City Council members Monday approved a plan they hope will fix the situation.

The council unanimously approved a plan that would allow four of the city's 12 halfway houses to expand. Councilman Paul Lopez was absent.

The four operate in industrial zones. Three of the four could double in size, allowing 120 occupants instead of the 60 now. A fourth could expand from 60 beds to 90 beds.

Deputy Safety Manager Mel Thompson said the state will pay for the expansions. He further stressed that the expansions will take place gradually over 10 years and each individual expansion plan will need to get final approval.

Several supporters said the halfway houses help transition prisoners from incarceration toward a life of freedom and provide services that help keep felons from reoffending.

"These provide an opportunity for them to get their feet back under them," said Regina Huerter, executive director of the city's Crime Prevention and Control Commission. "Currently, they come out and they are essentially obsolete."

The Denver Post