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.


Sunday, September 06, 2009

Jail Time Rare For Colorado Jailers

The Denver Post

From 2005 to 2007, investigators from the Colorado Department of Corrections confirmed 62 allegations of sexual misconduct levied against its employees and private contractors.

But few of the employees involved faced serious criminal consequences for violating laws that bar illicit contact between jailers and the jailed.

And experts say that preventing the abuse of inmates can come only if there is real punishment for the perpetrators.

Relationships between corrections officers and inmates are not uncommon. But, given the authority that corrections officers hold over inmates, such encounters are always considered by the law to be coercive sexual abuse.

In June, a federal judge in Denver chastised the DOC in a written opinion, saying that the sexual abuse of inmates is a "distressing problem" in Colorado prisons.

A Denver Post analysis of complaints filed with the Colorado DOC found that the sexual encounters with inmates are frequent in some prisons, and sometimes flaunted.

Nude photos of a female DOC sergeant were found in one prisoner's cell. Sexual abuse of inmates occurred in an electrical closet, staff bathroom and law library.

A prison commissary employee posted photos of the inmate she was having sex with on her MySpace page.

Offenders rarely incarcerated

Brenda V. Smith, a professor at the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C., said correctional employees who sexually abuse inmates rarely serve time.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's amazing to me that jailers are more believable in court than an inmate, especially with all of the news stories about cops and sheriffs in Denver being caught lying from videos and filing false reports. The DOC does do and say whatever they need to in order to protect their "rank and file". That's why DOC really stands for the Department of Corruption.

Anonymous said...

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Ah ... remember: Public safety is priority ONE! Isn't that what we constantly hear from those CDOC employees / immune and lying criminals? They look out for their own, don't they? Corporate and state criminals heading street criminals --- and in many cases inmates who should NOT be incarcerated. Department of Corruption is exactly right.

Anonymous said...

These aren't the only lying snakes in our system. Do you ever see a law enforcement officer of any kind get punished for their actions? Virtually never!!! They are above the law. Look at the slime balls who sent Timothy Masters to prison for over 10 years for a crime he did not commit and for which they had no credible evidence to convict him. They not only were not punished, but we (the taxpayers) paid for their personal defense and they are still in their jobs mmaking the big bucks. Ocasionally an officer is "under investigation" for which they receive paid vacation (paid administrative leave). Then, like always, it is quitely swept under the rug and no more is heard about it.

Anonymous said...

The reason for these injustices lies with the Colorado legislature for allowing, cops to police themselves, attorneys to oversee there actions, judges doing the same. They all lie for each other because the legislature allows them to and in fact has the AG defend them. Why doesnt legislators like May and Penry do away with Immunity for state employee's who commit crimes?? djw