'How long... before people have had enough?': Staffing levels at Denver Jail hundreds below required level

Working at the Denver County Jail facilities can be hard and dangerous work, even with a full staff.

But the number of deputies guarding the 1,793 inmates at the two jails is hundreds below the required level. And a former deputy and inmate say both workers and inmates pay the price.

Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins acknowledges, "for the Denver Sheriff Department, it's been a tough time."

He blames the pandemic and the great resignation that followed where many people quit their jobs.

Back in 2017, the department had 619 deputies. That has declined over the years to where there are now 459. That's 291 below the authorized level.

Diggins wants to bring the number of deputies up.

"We are absolutely focused on making sure we get our staffing levels going in an upward direction," he said.

A former deputy of more than three decades says the shortage of deputies is having an impact: "When you don't have appropriate staffing, you start violating the rights."

Not wanting to give his name publicly, he says inmates are not allowed out of their cells as required, to make phone calls or get showers as needed.

A female inmate recently released told CBS4, "I did not get a shower, they did not let me out. I stayed in my cell the whole time."

Deputies are working 16-hour days and six-day weeks to help fill the gaps.

The sheriff says that's true: "Overtime will be worked by folks working outside the jail to come in and help the folks working inside the jail."

But the now-former deputy says he has been in touch with his former colleagues on the inside and many are fed up, "How long do you allow conditions to exist before people have had enough?"

The sheriff says people looking for work are welcome to apply. The starting pay for deputies is $62,458 a year with overtime after field training.

The following data shows Denver Sheriff Department staffing data over the last few years: