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 27, 2010

Bill Would Close Prison But Which One

The Chieftain

DENVER — A bill introduced in the state Legislature Monday would close a state-run prison by Nov. 1.

Under HB1421, a prison with a capacity of at least 500 beds would be shuttered, with at least 20 percent of the savings redirected during the fiscal year 2010-11 to recidivism-reduction programs at private prisons.

The director of the Colorado Department of Corrections would determine which prison would close.

The bill cites the state's decreased revenue and its reduction in prison population as factors driving the proposal. It has bipartisan sponsorship from party leadership in the House, with House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, and House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, as its co-sponsors.

It comes on the heels of a $10 million budget provision for the same fiscal year to open a portion of Colorado State Penitentiary II to house more than 300 prisoners.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What? What? What? Let's see what is proposed.
1. Close a state owned facility
2. Give the money to a private prison(s)
3.Savings redirected during the fiscal year 2010-11 to recidivism-reduction programs at private prisons.
Questions:
1.Why not stop using all private prisons?
2.Why the recidivism reduction programs only to private prisons?
3. Why is it government's responsibility to support any private prison now or in the future?
4. What 500 bed prison is beng considered?
5.How many FTE's will DOC loss?
6. When does the proposal to open 2/3's of the beds or all of CSP-II get presented by DOC?

WELCOME to the State of CO Correctional Shell Game-watch closely and try to follow the tax dollars