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.


Friday, September 18, 2009

Prison Cutbacks Face Opposition

Pueblo Chieftain
Officials in three Southern Colorado counties said Wednesday that Gov. Bill Ritter's decision to release more than 6,000 inmates from state Department of Corrections custody will be devastating to small communities that house private prisons.

Commissioners in Bent, Crowley and Huerfano counties all have private prisons owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America.

Ritter announced the Accelerated Transition Pilot program in August. By June 30, an estimated 2,720 inmates out of 3,400 eligible for parole will be on the streets, saving the state $19 million in prison housing costs. The next year, another 3,000-plus inmates could be released.

But Bent County Commissioner Bill Long said that the lion's share of the proposed reduction would come from the private prisons in Crowley, Bent and Huerfano counties.

Long said the proposed releases will impact the private facilities which were built at the request of the state. "If they do what they have been talking about in the last few days, which is 5,000 to 6,000 inmates possibly being up for parole, that will empty virtually every private prison in Colorado that has Colorado inmates," Long said.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Yup! The commodity issue. What are these people? My God! These private prisons are so concerned about keeping their bed spaces filled, they don't care how greedy they sound. It isn't the safety issue at all. It's monetary.

Keep incarcerations high!
Hold onto the wrongfully convicted!
Excessive sentencing years!
Deny parole for all!
Find excuses for write-ups!
Most of all, keep those obscene profits HIGH regardless of honor IN the courts or OUT.

The entire system is evil. I nod knowing there will be a price to pay for being so judging and greedy. In the blink of an eye, they will face their judgment from a Higher Authority. I wonder if they truly believe it's worth it? It's very possible the majority are atheists. There is nothing wrong with the choice. However, if they profess to *embrace* a spiritual belief, they are in denial or apathetic to its consequences. Who knows what the Soul will go through for all of its deviances?

It isn't Christ-like, so it must be satanic influences that drive some of the salivating detectives, prosecution, judges and DOC employees. Their deliberate corruption and manipulation of our brothers and sisters shows their dark natures. Excuses = denial.

CONSEQUENCES.

Unknown said...

So...instead of cost private prisons business or put employees there out of jobs, let's wrongfully keep more people in prisons and cost taxpayers additional money!!!! If there is a problem with excess space in private prisons in this state, why are we just now getting ready to open an brand new facility at Hudson, Co which is to house an additional 1250 inmates? If more bed space was needed for the Alaskan inmates they plan to fill that prison with, why did they not use bed space from their existing facilities that they are worried about emptying out?
It's greed and it's BS!!!

Anonymous said...

Barney is right, its greed and BS! I believe its time for all organizations including mine to get togather in a class action suit to do away with all Privatley owned prisons, demand a return to 1982 sentencing in the courts, and do away with MANDATORY parole. Yes , also sue for the extortion of credit issue that goes on thru inmate accounts.This would return prison inmate numbers to the levels they were in the 80's. You cant tell me people are worse today than they were in the 80's. I can tell you its the position of people like May, Penry, Suther who have caused incarceration numbers to double. If you dont ever release anyone where the hell will it end. djw