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.


Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Record Sealing Bill - Editorial and Comments

If you have the time to respond to this Editorial please do. Write a letter to the editor of the Coloradoan....

Bad legislation doesn't smell any better the second time around.

Such is the case with House Bill 1082, sponsored by state Sen. Bob Bacon.

The bill seeks to allow those with criminal convictions to have them sealed from public purview after 10 years of clean living. Bacon, a Fort Collins Democrat, believes that those records are making it difficult for those seeking a second chance to find employment. And he's probably correct on that point. Yet, that isn't a strong enough reason to override the public's access to such relevant information.

The public welfare has to be given more consideration. Barring public access to such documents is a slippery slope. The bill does acknowledge that certain types of records will remain open, including those involving sexual offenses, criminally negligent homicide, crimes against pregnant women, harassment, child abuse and domestic violence, among others. That leaves out what some might call a wide swath of "white-collar" crime, making this bill curious in its content and in its exceptions.

The Coloradoan

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Why does it need to take 10 years to seal some one's record after they have paid there debt to society??? Specially when we cannot get a news paper or a news station to report on all the corruption going on within the DA's office, the DOC, The IG and there false reports and the non action by the Attorney regulation and the Judges judicial dicipline boards??? These are the people we, the people need to fear. Not the person released from prison. djw