Think Outside the Cage: Women's Prison Closing

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 over 7,000 individual members and 112 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, June 02, 2009

Women's Prison Closing

Channel 8

CANON CITY, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado prison that formerly housed female inmates will shut its doors for good during a decommissioning ceremony scheduled this week.

The Colorado Women's Correctional Facility in Canon City opened in 1968 with 90 beds, but has since grown to include room for 275 inmates.

The Colorado Department of Corrections decided to shutter the prison to save some $5.2 million. Employees were reassigned to other facilities, while inmates were transferred to other Colorado women's prisons.

It wasn't immediately clear how many inmates were still housed at the prison when the last of the transfers occurred April 30.

A decommissioning ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com