Who is the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition?

Our mission is to reverse the trend of mass incarceration in Colorado. We are a coalition of nearly 7,000 individual members and over 100 faith and community organizations who have united to stop perpetual prison expansion in Colorado through policy and sentence reform.

Our chief areas of interest include drug policy reform, women in prison, racial injustice, the impact of incarceration on children and families, the problems associated with re-entry and stopping the practice of using private prisons in our state.

If you would like to be involved please go to our website and become a member.


Friday, August 10, 2007

Sentencing Conference

As we wait for Michael over at Corr Sent to get readjusted to the world after his conference here is a wrap up from the Oklahoman (thank you Doug Berman). I am still waiting with teeth on edge to hear from Gov Ritter's office to find out who has been appointed to our Commission. We should hear from them in the next few days.

Representatives from 27 states met in Oklahoma City this week to discuss ways to deal with a rapidly expanding inmate population while keeping the public safe.

More than 150 national experts on criminal sentencing wrapped up the two-day conference Tuesday at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

Oklahoma's prisons are at 98 percent capacity, and other states like California are struggling to find places to put thousands of inmates.

Commissions face an ongoing battle with legislators who make more actions illegal and increase sentence lengths, said Jack O'Connell, president of the National Association of Sentencing Commissions.

"Legislators love to make things felonies,” he said.

What they talked about
Dealing with sex offenders

Residency restrictions for sex offenders don't work, a panel of law experts said.

"Residency restrictions are in vogue,” said Daniel Filler, a law professor at Drexel University. "There is no evidence they work at all.”

Twenty-seven states, including Oklahoma, have passed laws designed to keep anyone labeled a sex offender from living near schools, parks, churches and other areas. READ MORE HERE



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

After a teen relative was charged with molestation, I did a lot of research on the supposed recidivism of sex offenders. The real evidence falls very short of the current mass hysteria about it. I suggest an educational summit to expose the fact that the recidivism stats are drawn from a very narrow group of convicted violent felons, and have been erroneously extrapolated to all other criminal categories.