No detainees will be released into the neighborhood even if they are able to post bail at the temporary center. Instead, those who are able to post bail will be bused to the Denver County Jail at Smith Road and Havana Street, where prisoners are usually released.
In other words, even once cleared for release, freedom will be hours away, requiring a visit to the antiquated, overcrowded and extremely unpleasant Denver County Jail, located
10 miles away on the Interstate. How clever of them to make it as difficult as possible for the protesters to return.
Even on a regular day, it can take four to six hours to get processed and released from the Denver County Jail once cleared. It's a maximum security type facility that holds those arrested and awaiting trial for murder and violent crimes as well as those doing time on DUI's. It regularly houses 2,000 prisoners even though maximum capacity is 1,600.
Back to the temporary warehouse facility. There is no designated space for lawyers to meet privately with clients. Officals think it's sufficient that lawyers are able to confer with their arrested clients for the first time after arriving at the courthouse.
Mark Silverstein, the ACLU's legal director, wrote a letter Aug. 8 to Lovingier and Manager of Safety Al Lacabe warning that under state statutes the custodian of detainees may not restrict lawyers from meeting with them.
Silverstein is right.
Handouts will be distributed to prisoners, providing information on the booking process and listing numbers for the American Civil Liberties Union and the People's Law Project.
That's helpful, but insufficient.