Fellin previously served in Sheriff’s Office as a deputy, sergeant and interim chief
PITKIN COUNTY, COLO. (Nov. 21, 2023) - Dan Fellin, who served as Interim Detention Division Chief for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office since January 2023, has been promoted to Detention Division Chief. Fellin has worked for Pitkin County for ten years; seven of those years were spent in the Sheriff’s Office, serving in a variety of roles at the jail. Before joining the Sheriff’s Office, he worked for the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in operations and as a firefighter.
“As Interim Chief, Dan oversaw a smooth transition of our inmates returning to the Pitkin County Jail after being temporarily housed at detention facilities in Eagle and Garfield Counties. The safety improvements made under Dan’s watch to help ensure our people – both staff and inmates – felt secure were crucial to move our jail into a more sustainable future state,” said Michael Buglione, Pitkin County Sheriff.
Fellin has a background in criminal justice, a passion to help the community, and a strong belief in the community policing concept where law enforcement officials prioritize helping others over writing tickets. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice.
“I feel like I can do a lot of good and help people in the jail with the programming we offer as well as continuing to support them when they get released. Since our inmates returned in July, we’ve bolstered the grant-funded programming and services we offer inmates such as mental health services, yoga, and Commercial Drivers License (CDL) classes. Having the inmates back in person allows us to have a more in-depth role in how we can help,” said Fellin.
The safety improvements made to the jail earlier this year are a band-aid approach while a longer-term solution to improve the aging jail, located behind the Pitkin County courthouse, is explored. Fellin, who oversees a staff of 13 sergeants and detention deputies, is excited to be part of ongoing conversations about creating a new jail.
“I’m excited to help figure out how to modernize our current facility and continue to improve things for the jail staff and inmates. How can we plan for the next 20 years and incorporate programming and facility space that’s beneficial to this part of our community and use innovative solutions that could benefit the entire field of corrections,” said Fellin.
Right now, the jail’s daily population hovers around 10-12 people. The current facility, which is 40 years old, can house 14 inmates. Conversations are continuing about the future of the jail with a variety of stakeholders including the Pitkin County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, county commissioners, county staff and the community.
Fellin serves on the Pitkin County Recovery Court Board and Community Corrections Board for the Ninth Judicial District. He officially took over as Detention Division Chief on October 26.
Media contact: Marci Suazo, Pitkin County Communications Manager, marci.suazo@pitkincounty.com, (970) 309-2343