El Paso County Jail sees record number of female inmates

The El Paso County Jail is already overburdened with inmates, but the Sheriff’s Office says the jail’s female inmate population bested a record that was set in 2017.

Last month, the sheriff’s office said the inmate population jumped up to 1,839 , which was causing concerns for safety. Wednesday, the number of female inmates reached 364, setting a new record. The previous record was set in 2017 at 358 female inmates.

Sheriff Bill Elder says his office is working with the courts and other detention facilities to come up with options to alleviate the burgeoning inmate population.

“Our female inmate population now takes up five of the 25 wards at the El Paso County Jail,” Elder said.

It’s not clear what has led to the increase in the number of inmates, but it could just be following the trend in the county’s population growth.

Elder said his number one priority is to focus on jail staffing until the facility can find a more permanent solution. He added that building a new jail or adding to the existing one is not an option.