Colorado Laws on Work Release | Greeley Criminal Defense Lawyer for Work Release Sentences

In Greeley, Colorado, when you're convicted and sentenced for a misdemeanor, traffic violation, or sometimes a felony crime, you may be eligible to participate in the Weld County Work Release Program. This program allows inmates to leave the facility in order to go to work, and return at night to fulfill their jail sentence. It allows inmates to maintain their jobs outside of their criminal sentence and to continue supporting their family or their residence while they are in custody. Though Work Release appears to be a great idea, it also comes with many hardships. Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney, if you need help getting authorized for this program in Weld County.

What is Work Release in Weld County, Colorado?

In Weld County, Work Release is an alternative to serving your sentence at the Weld County Jail. It allows inmates to go to work during the day, and return to the Jail after work so they can maintain their income while also fulfilling their sentence. Though this seems like an ideal solution for those in the Weld County Jail, this program has many strings attached and is very strict. Even a small infraction could have it revoked.

How Do I Get Work Release in Greeley, Lyons, and Dacono?

In order to get Work Release in Greeley, Lyons, and Dacono, you must first be approved for it by a judge. Typically, a judge will approve of it as an option during sentencing. Though a judge may approve of it, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will be able to immediately participate in this program. There is a Work Release staff at the Weld County Jail that will need to make sure that you would be a good candidate for the program. Usually, those with a past criminal conviction, or those convicted of violent crimes will not be able to participate. After the staff declares you a good candidate for the program, you then have to wait for a bed to open up at the facility. The average wait time to get into this program can be about 2 months or longer. So, for those with a shorter sentence, Work Release may not be viable as an option.

Rules of Work Release for the Weld County Jail

When you're finally able to participate in Work Release in the Weld County Jail, there is an extensive list of rules that every person is expected to follow. If any of the rules are broken, your Work Release will be revoked and you will carry out the rest of your sentence at the Weld County Jail.

In addition to following these rules, you will also be expected to pay to live at the Jail. It is viewed as a privilege to participate in this program, so they expect you to pay them a sort of "rent" to stay there. Inmates who live in Weld County are expected to pay $15 a day, and if you live out of Weld County normally you're expected to pay $27 a day. So if you participate in this program for a month or more, you're paying at least $450 to "live" at the Work Release Center. Plus, you also have to upkeep the rest of your bills at the place where you actually live. Having to pay two rents is very difficult for most people. The purpose of this program becomes just being able to keep your job at that point, assuming you haven't lost it due to the long wait periods for bed availability. It is a system that was created on good intentions, but ultimately still poses lots of challenges for inmates.

Escape Charges – Weld County Jail Rules Broken in Work Release for Your Longmont or Milliken Crime

When inmates participate in Work Release, they must follow strict rules or face the possibility of being charged with extra crimes, on top of their underlying Longmont or Milliken crime. We have seen clients charged with Escape, or Introduction of Contraband. If an inmate makes an unauthorized trip, or doesn't return after work, they are likely to be charged with felony Escape. When someone is charged with Escape, their Work Release is revoked and it will call for mandatory jail or prison time. Or Greeley police might charge you with Introduction of Contraband if you bring any unauthorized item back to the facility. So when you're participating in this program, it is important to follow all of their rules, even just being late without calling could result in revocation.