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.


Monday, October 27, 2008

Homeless Sweeps Suspended

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Map, News) - Colorado Springs is suspending publicly financed cleanups of homeless camps while it examines the legal and ethical issues involved in the monthly sweeps.

The Colorado Veterans Alliance claims that the cleanup campaign has illegally discarded VA paperwork, medications, IDs and service medals that belong to homeless veterans. The group has formally notified the city it plans to file a lawsuit in federal court.

Keep Colorado Springs Beautiful, which cleans up homeless camps under a contract with the city, says it only discards trash left behind after police order homeless people out of illegal camps.

The group denies conducting illegal searches or destroying personal property, saying anything of value is turned over to police, where the owners can go to claim the items.


The Examiner