County Jails at a Crossroads - Mesa County, CO

-
County Examples & SolutionsSeveral years ago, the county’s chief judge read an article about evidence-based practices for judicial officers that made him question if Mesa County’s system was set up appropriately. He started pushing for an examination of the county’s judicial practices, and in 2010 Mesa County was chosen as one of seven sites in the United States to receive technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to analyze current practices and make evidence-based upgrades to its system.County Jails at a Crossroads - Mesa County, COJuly 6, 2015July 6, 2015, 12:00 pm
-
Document
County Jails at a Crossroads - Mesa County, CO
- Milwaukee County, WI
- Read the Full Report
- Jails Data
- Interview
Mesa County, Colorado
The Opportunity for Change
Mesa County, Colo., historically operated a pretrial bail system like many other jurisdictions in the United States, where cash and surety bonds are the primary ways a defendant is released and empirical information is not available or used. This meant that many high-risk defendants were bonding out of jail while many low-risk defendants were staying in, based on money alone. Several years ago, the county’s chief judge read an article about evidence-based practices for judicial officers that made him question if Mesa County’s system was set up appropriately. He started pushing for an examination of the county’s judicial practices, and in 2010 Mesa County was chosen as one of seven sites in the United States to receive technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to analyze current practices and make evidence-based upgrades to its system. This assistance did not come with any financial support but did help catalyze a group of system leaders to take action.
Mesa County's Model
Much of Mesa County’s success in improving its pretrial system is thanks to the county identifying data targets and tracking results from the very beginning. “If you collect evidence that shows this new approach is working, and you stick with it, you’re going to break down resistance,” Joel Bishop, program manager for Mesa County Criminal Justice Services, says. “It’s hard to argue with good data.”
The county invested a great deal of time at the outset to ensure that useful and appropriate outcomes were being tracked. Assistance from the Pretrial Justice Institute helped the county determine and set up some basic tracking mechanisms, while other outcomes and questions were easily identified as Mesa County has tracked outcomes in other areas for years. System leaders also came together and discussed what additional results they wanted to monitor.
Some of the outcomes that Mesa County monitors include:
- the local predictive value of its risk assessment tool
- court appearance rates by risk category
- public safety rates by risk category
- average length of stay by risk category
- number of those held in jail by risk category
- percentage of pretrial program costs by risk category and supervision level, and
- bonds ordered by risk category and by offense.
Mesa County currently tracks all of this information using Excel spreadsheets. Pretrial officers update the spreadsheets before they go home every day, and daily administrative support staff double check that data. Staff also spend time at least once or twice a month looking at closed cases to examine outcomes.
Successes and Outcomes
For lower-risk defendants, up to 88 percent of supervised pretrial cases remain crime-free during their pretrial period and up to 93 percent of cases make all their court appearances before trial.
Mesa County’s implementation of evidence-based pretrial reform has resulted in a number of positive changes, and the county’s continued monitoring of outcomes has bolstered its success. First, tracking results from the beginning helped convince skeptics that the new process utilizing a validated risk assessment was a good one. The county knew the risk assessment tool worked at the state level, but needed to ensure that it also worked locally—which the data has borne out. For lower-risk defendants, up to 88 percent of supervised pretrial cases remain crime-free during their pretrial period and up to 93 percent of cases make all their court appearances before trial. For higher risk defendants, these rates are up to 75 percent and up to 87 percent, respectively.
The county has also been able to show that the jail is now being used mainly for higher-risk defendants, with
only about 25 percent of the jail’s pretrial population being lower risk.
Similarly, from July 2013 through December 2014, community supervision rates rose 24 percent and the pretrial jail population dropped 27 percent—while public safety rates stayed consistent. This has bothsaved the county money in reduced jail bed days and reduced collateral consequences for many defendants.
“Keeping track of these outcomes has been crucial in getting stakeholder buy-in, and convincing those who were skeptics at the beginning of this process,” Bishop says. Mesa County continues to provide regular statistical updates to stakeholders, which helps sustain confidence in the system and keeps leaders engaged and aware of when changes may be helpful or necessary.
Lessons Learned
INVOLVE KEY STAKEHOLDERS AT EVERY STAGE:
“You can have all the good ideas in the world but you have to have collaboration to actually get it implemented and make it work,” Bishop says. “Get your key stakeholders involved not just in the ideas phase but also in actually developing the program. It’s also important to have lower-level line staff involved— they’re the ones who will be doing the work and have an important perspective.”SOMETIMES CHANGE NEEDS TO BE INCREMENTAL:
In Mesa County, some stakeholders weren’t comfortable completely removing monetary bond as an option at first. “We knew keeping those money ranges in wasn’t the best practice, but it was a step in the process to where we needed to be,” Bishop explains. “If we’d jumped right to no money bonds our system wouldn’t have been ready for it.” A slower pace also gave Mesa County time to gather local data that showed that a system without money bonds would work.MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING:
“We didn’t get a penny from NIC or any other provider,” Bishop says. “What we got was technical assistance, which is basically available for anyone who’s serious about reform. Yes, it cost us a lot of time, working on formatting and building new pretrial reports and spreadsheets, and required time of our data analyst—but it didn’t cost money. You just need the will and the desire to do it.”
- Milwaukee County, WI
- Read the Full Report
- Jails Data
- Interview
Several years ago, the county’s chief judge read an article about evidence-based practices for judicial officers that made him question if Mesa County’s system was set up appropriately. He started pushing for an examination of the county’s judicial practices, and in 2010 Mesa County was chosen as one of seven sites in the United States to receive technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to analyze current practices and make evidence-based upgrades to its system.2015-07-06County Examples & Solutions2015-08-25
Mesa County, Colorado
The Opportunity for Change
Mesa County, Colo., historically operated a pretrial bail system like many other jurisdictions in the United States, where cash and surety bonds are the primary ways a defendant is released and empirical information is not available or used. This meant that many high-risk defendants were bonding out of jail while many low-risk defendants were staying in, based on money alone. Several years ago, the county’s chief judge read an article about evidence-based practices for judicial officers that made him question if Mesa County’s system was set up appropriately. He started pushing for an examination of the county’s judicial practices, and in 2010 Mesa County was chosen as one of seven sites in the United States to receive technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) to analyze current practices and make evidence-based upgrades to its system. This assistance did not come with any financial support but did help catalyze a group of system leaders to take action.
Mesa County's Model
Much of Mesa County’s success in improving its pretrial system is thanks to the county identifying data targets and tracking results from the very beginning. “If you collect evidence that shows this new approach is working, and you stick with it, you’re going to break down resistance,” Joel Bishop, program manager for Mesa County Criminal Justice Services, says. “It’s hard to argue with good data.”
The county invested a great deal of time at the outset to ensure that useful and appropriate outcomes were being tracked. Assistance from the Pretrial Justice Institute helped the county determine and set up some basic tracking mechanisms, while other outcomes and questions were easily identified as Mesa County has tracked outcomes in other areas for years. System leaders also came together and discussed what additional results they wanted to monitor.
Some of the outcomes that Mesa County monitors include:
- the local predictive value of its risk assessment tool
- court appearance rates by risk category
- public safety rates by risk category
- average length of stay by risk category
- number of those held in jail by risk category
- percentage of pretrial program costs by risk category and supervision level, and
- bonds ordered by risk category and by offense.

Mesa County currently tracks all of this information using Excel spreadsheets. Pretrial officers update the spreadsheets before they go home every day, and daily administrative support staff double check that data. Staff also spend time at least once or twice a month looking at closed cases to examine outcomes.
Successes and Outcomes
For lower-risk defendants, up to 88 percent of supervised pretrial cases remain crime-free during their pretrial period and up to 93 percent of cases make all their court appearances before trial.
Mesa County’s implementation of evidence-based pretrial reform has resulted in a number of positive changes, and the county’s continued monitoring of outcomes has bolstered its success. First, tracking results from the beginning helped convince skeptics that the new process utilizing a validated risk assessment was a good one. The county knew the risk assessment tool worked at the state level, but needed to ensure that it also worked locally—which the data has borne out. For lower-risk defendants, up to 88 percent of supervised pretrial cases remain crime-free during their pretrial period and up to 93 percent of cases make all their court appearances before trial. For higher risk defendants, these rates are up to 75 percent and up to 87 percent, respectively.
The county has also been able to show that the jail is now being used mainly for higher-risk defendants, with
only about 25 percent of the jail’s pretrial population being lower risk.
Similarly, from July 2013 through December 2014, community supervision rates rose 24 percent and the pretrial jail population dropped 27 percent—while public safety rates stayed consistent. This has bothsaved the county money in reduced jail bed days and reduced collateral consequences for many defendants.
“Keeping track of these outcomes has been crucial in getting stakeholder buy-in, and convincing those who were skeptics at the beginning of this process,” Bishop says. Mesa County continues to provide regular statistical updates to stakeholders, which helps sustain confidence in the system and keeps leaders engaged and aware of when changes may be helpful or necessary.
Lessons Learned
INVOLVE KEY STAKEHOLDERS AT EVERY STAGE:
“You can have all the good ideas in the world but you have to have collaboration to actually get it implemented and make it work,” Bishop says. “Get your key stakeholders involved not just in the ideas phase but also in actually developing the program. It’s also important to have lower-level line staff involved— they’re the ones who will be doing the work and have an important perspective.”SOMETIMES CHANGE NEEDS TO BE INCREMENTAL:
In Mesa County, some stakeholders weren’t comfortable completely removing monetary bond as an option at first. “We knew keeping those money ranges in wasn’t the best practice, but it was a step in the process to where we needed to be,” Bishop explains. “If we’d jumped right to no money bonds our system wouldn’t have been ready for it.” A slower pace also gave Mesa County time to gather local data that showed that a system without money bonds would work.MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING:
“We didn’t get a penny from NIC or any other provider,” Bishop says. “What we got was technical assistance, which is basically available for anyone who’s serious about reform. Yes, it cost us a lot of time, working on formatting and building new pretrial reports and spreadsheets, and required time of our data analyst—but it didn’t cost money. You just need the will and the desire to do it.”
About Kathy Rowings (Full Bio)
Kathy Rowings is the Associate Program Director for Justice at the National Association of Counties (NACo).More from Kathy Rowings
-
Policy Brief
Support Local Efforts to Reduce Mental Illness in Jails
Urge your members of Congress to support local efforts to reduce the number of individuals with mental health, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders in county jails by providing full funding for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) in the annual appropriations process. JMHCP was reauthorized for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022 – 2026 through the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act (P.L. 117-323)at $54 million per year and should be funded at this level annually to maximize the impact of local efforts to address the prevalence of mental illness in the criminal justice system. JMHCP is currently funded at $45 million under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (P.L. 117-328). -
Webinar
County Strategies to Recruit and Retain a Strong Behavioral Health Workforce
Jan. 26, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmUnable to attend? Watch the recording here. -
Reports & Toolkits
Effective Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder for Incarcerated Populations
This resource describes evidence-based practices for the treatment of opioid use disorder for incarcerated persons. -
Blog
New federal guidance improves access to opioid treatment in county jails
Two new reports from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) offer guidance on improving the provision of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders (OUD) in correctional facilities as well as clarifies disability protections of people on MAT for OUD. -
Reports & Toolkits
Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023
This analysis includes funding highlights for key programs impacting counties.
-
Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Decreasing Bookings and/or Arrests through Diversion, Citations and Warrant Avoidance and Resolution
March 2, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmReducing the number of people arrested and booked into jails for low-level offenses and misdemeanors through diversion and citations, as well as outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court or not paying fines and fees, can help decrease jail populations by reserving detention beds for people who are a risk to public safety or a serious f03022:00 pm<p>Reducing the number of people arrested and booked into jails for low-level offenses and misdemeanors through diversion and citations, as well as outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court or not paying fines and fees, can h
-
Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Lowering Recidivism through Jail- and Community-Based Treatment and Services
April 6, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmReducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.04062:00 pm<p>Reducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.</p>
-
Basic page
The Stepping Up Initiative
In May 2015, NACo and partners at the CSG Justice Center and APA Foundation launched Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> -
Basic page
Justice & Public Safety Steering Committee
All matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems, including criminal justice planning, law enforcement, courts, corrections, homeland security, community crime prevention, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, emergency management, fire prevention and control, and civil disturbances.pagepagepage<p>All matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems, including criminal justice planning, law enforcement, courts, corrections, homeland security, community crime prevention, juvenile justice and delinquency preven
-
Reports & Toolkits
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.Reports & Toolkitsdocument10123:30 pmReports & Toolkits<p>NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Related News
-
BlogNew federal guidance improves access to opioid treatment in county jailsJan. 19, 2023
-
County NewsErie County, N.Y. faces deadly ‘Blizzard of the Century’Jan. 13, 2023
-
County NewsGetting the band back together: County defenders rock the holidaysJan. 13, 2023
Related Resources
-
Policy BriefIncrease Funding for the Second Chance Act to Support Local Reentry Programs that Reduce Recidivism Among Formerly Incarcerated IndividualsJan. 31, 2023
-
Policy BriefSupport Local Efforts to Reduce Mental Illness in JailsJan. 31, 2023
-
DocumentTreatment and Recovery for Pregnant and Parenting PeopleJan. 23, 2023
More from the Report
Interview with the Author
Dr. Natalie Ortiz discusses the critical insights gained in her research

Explore the data
Related Events
-
2Mar2023Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Decreasing Bookings and/or Arrests through Diversion, Citations and Warrant Avoidance and Resolution
Mar. 2, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm -
6Apr2023Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Lowering Recidivism through Jail- and Community-Based Treatment and Services
Apr. 6, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Upcoming Events
-
8Feb2023Webinar
Local Strategies for Reaching Families and Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
Feb. 8, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm -
11Feb2023
-
22Feb2023Webinar
Executive Perspectives on Preparing for an ERP Replacement Project
Feb. 22, 2023 , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
More From
-
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Learn More