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.


Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Nat Geographic..Solitary Confinement...Sunday Night

Today, more than 80,000 Americans are in solitary confinement. Explorer looks at the science of solitary and discovers what it means to be absolutely alone. We go inside Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP) and witness prisoners on the edge and the guards who watch over them. Then, we look at experiments on whether isolation dramatically alters behavior and ongoing new research on how solitary actually could cause long-term mental problems like paranoia, disorientation and delirium.

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4819/Overview?source=fongcfeat1#ixzz0kNpR1F5B

1 comment:

Rodney S JAX, FL said...

I have been watching the Nat Geo special on CSP. I am sickened and outraged that there is such a place in this great country. We pride ourselves on being a "leading" nation in human rights and social advancement, however, we hold on to a primitive, sub-human form of punishment that was deemed cruel and unusual 70 years ago in this country. Do they not see that they are creating a new form of criminal. A guy that might have been incarcerated for auto theft or dealing drugs has now been transformed into a mentally unstable, possibly violent person with criminal tendencies. None of the core reasons for being sent to prison in the first place have been addressed. What happened to Rehabilitation? How will a person who has been in solitary for an extended period of time get out the very next day and maintain a functioning place in society. This seems to me as a lazy way to deal with complicated inmates. We should all be concerned as one of these people might be standing in front of you in line at the grocery store tomorrow. Please unite for a reform in this policy within OUR prison system.