PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. — Pueblo County's new $150 million detention center is nearing completion, with crews putting finishing touches on the facility located off Pueblo Boulevard on the city's west side.
The new jail will house more than 650 inmates, significantly expanding capacity from the current downtown facility it will replace, which traditionally can fit around 500 inmates.
Construction funding came from various sources, including marijuana tax revenue.
County officials expect the project to be completed in April. David Zupan, senior project manager, provided additional details about the timeline and construction progress.
The current downtown jail won't be demolished after the new facility opens. Instead, it will be converted into the Pueblo County Diversion Center, designed to address mental health and substance abuse needs for low-level offenders.
The diversion center represents a shift toward treatment-focused approaches for certain categories of offenders, rather than traditional incarceration.
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