Fellin promoted to Pitkin County Jail detention division chief

Dan Fellin has been promoted to Pitkin County Jail detention division chief after serving as the interim detention division chief since January 2023, according to a county news release.

Fellin has worked for Pitkin County for 10 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,” Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said in the release. “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.”

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,” ” Fellin said in the release. “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.”

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,” Fellin said in the release. “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.”

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 Oct. 26.