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.


Thursday, December 04, 2008

RMN LETTER TO THE EDITOR - Paths to Productivity Pay

Inmate Wendell Paige speaks of dreams and especially of hope ("Obama renews dreams," Speakout, Nov. 20). At the alternative sentencing program I administered in Southern California, we spoke of providing reason and resources to reduce recidivism. In Colorado, Gov. Bill Ritter's announced plan to reduce recidivism provides hope ("Guv proposes cuts in prison costs," Oct. 31).

There have always been good reasons to do what the governor plans; however, resources have been misdirected to provide for more incarceration. Providing paths to productive and responsible citizenship and particularly paths to long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a sound investment that pays big recovery dividends.

Long-term recovery reduces domestic violence, driving under the influence, needless medical expenses and criminal justice costs. For those trapped in addiction and the justice system, it means restoration of the economic and social well-being of families, and leaving behind isolation, anger and fear. It means keeping hope alive and encourages all to "chase those dreams just a little bit more."


Rocky Mountain News

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, the politicians are very afraid of doing what is right, instead of being viewed as "soft on crime". We, as those who pay the bills have to get them out of this bad habit. Gov Ritter has a background as a DA, he hires ex-police chiefs to head his DOC and parole Board. Michaud had no experience and just follows. No leadership. Zavaras and Ritter talk rehab, but secretly continue to build more and more and more prisons. One half of a TRILLION dollars to be spent on keeping people in Colorado prisons in the next 15 years. Because of a lack of leadership, this cannot be stopped, unless we as the people stand up and say "NO"!!
Let a million person march stop the legislature in it's tracks in January. Stop looking at spending money on dying trees and more at helping people survive in this state.mpc

Anonymous said...

I suspect that the coming depression that will hit Colorado's treasyry starting in 2009 and again in 2010 will force Gov Ritter to put a stop to build ing prisons and really get serious about letting non violent offenders they hold go home, and possibly he and Zavaras would fess up to the fact they are and have been holding about 20 women, who have been raped by prison guards. The doc blocks there efforts to use the courts by making false charges against the inmate, placing the inmates in AD SEG, making them lose there good time so they can continue to hold them in prison. The news media is suppressed from writing storys by the DOC, to protect there image.djw

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