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.


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Prisoner Move to Colorado Puts Strain on Families

KTUU
HUDSON, Colo. -- Mary Madore and Maggie Crank aren't related, but they consider one another family.
"The first time we talked, it was like we had known each other forever.  It was really something else," Crank said.
Both women lived in Alaska for 30 years, but they met for the first time in Arizona just a few years ago.
"We did not know each other... Interesting, huh? We had to come to Arizona to meet," Crank said with a laugh.
The two met through their sons, who were inmates at the Red Rock Correctional Facility in Eloy, Ariz.
"My son was in prison with her son, and her son Edward said to my son Matthew, ‘I haven't seen my mom in three years,'" Madore said.
"Matt says, 'that's no problem, she can come and stay with my mom, my mom will bring her over here to the prison. My mom's got a car'" Madore said.
In 2003, the Alaska Department of Corrections was forced to send hundreds of inmates to the medium-security facility in Arizona because of overcrowding in Alaska prisons.
Madore and Crank are two of only about a dozen who moved from the Last Frontier to the desert to be close to their loved ones.
"I don't know how many people realize, but when a loved one goes to prison, it isn't just that person that's in prison. The family is basically in prison with 'em," Madore said.
They live about 10 minutes away from the Red Rock prison, close enough to see their sons almost every day.
"It was a blessing ‘cause I could hold her hand, give her a hug and a kiss. It was nice," said inmate Edward Page, Crank's son.
"It felt good. To just feel the love of my family, to be able to see them," said Matthew Pease-Madore, Madore's son.
Now Madore and Crank can't see their sons when they want to.
All the inmates at Red Rock were recently moved to the Hudson Correctional Facility in Colorado, about 30 miles northeast of Denver.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Families are not only punished in that they can not see their imprisoned loved ones, but in other ways as well. It is the families who must pay the outrageous prices for phone calls, canteen, and other necessities for their inmate. It is truly a rip-off all the way around. $$$$$$$ makes the prison system go 'round.

Anonymous said...

I feel a convicted sex offender...like Matt Pease-Madore should not be able to see his family. He is an evil monster who sexually molested Multiple little kids. Personally, I think that he should be castrated slowly to cause the worst pain and tied up in union square and rocked to death. A person who can do this to little children with no remorse should not be alive nor be allowed freedoms like seeing family members. I like how the article completely mades him seem like a great guy. I wonder if this is the same mom he tried to kill with an axe that sent him into juvie in the first place. I think prisoners should have absolutely no rights. Stop wasting our tax dollars on worthless scum.

Anonymous said...

I feel as though the parents of these felons need to be investigated more. The paternal parent and family of Matthew Pease-Madore is largely to blame. They had full knowledge of their son's problem and when it came out that he had been raping his half siblings they simply asked him to leave the home. They did not report him, they did not tell anyone, and they did not get him counseling. Now he has racked up 20 more sexual assault charges (probably more). It could have all been prevented if his parents sought help and didnt "sweep things under the rug" because they were to proud to admit a problem. 2 parents were helping Matthew be a monster and its Mr. and Mrs. Pease.

Anonymous said...

First off, the previous comments about Matthew Pease-Madore aren't at all factual. Know your facts before you start spouting them. Matthew has made mistakes in his life, but he is far from a monster. And...All the sexual crap that they're talking about is NOT true at all. Matthew is an awesome young man and doesn't deserve to be in prison for such a heinous crime. He deserves to see his family just like everyone else. So I wish people would stop bitching about things that they no nothing about.