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, June 01, 2012

Doug Bruce Released Deplores Jail Conditions

The Denver Post

Former Colorado legislator Douglas Bruce on Thursday groused about the food, the deplorable living conditions and the ridiculous rules — just as the average convict often does.
Bruce was sentenced to 180 days in the clink for using his charity to avoid income taxes — but was released early for good behavior.
On Thursday, he emerged from the Denver city jail slim and scrappy, saying his spirit had not been broken behind bars.
"I'm stronger than when I went in because I rose above the insanity of the whole process," he said.
He vowed to sue the lockup after he wins his appeal of his tax-evasion conviction.
Bruce's list of complaints is long.
"They served refrigerated rolls at least twice View more images of Doug Bruce getting out of jail.

a day. I've never seen that," Bruce said outside the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, explaining that he lost 47 pounds during 104 days in jail. "They served what they called gravy, which I considered to look and taste like sewage. They didn't serve coffee. All they served was chicory, which is a boiled root."He was placed in solitary confinement for the first four days of his sentence. He said jail staff later admitted that was unnecessary and placed him in a low-security housing block. When a man threatened to cut his throat with a knife, he was again placed in solitary confinement for three days. It didn't make sense that he was punished, he said.
But jail spokesman Capt. Frank Gale said Bruce was initially placed in an administrative segregation cell at his own request, and for his own safety he was returned to segregation after his life was threatened.
Bruce said that inmates were overcharged for use of phones and that the commissary food was five times market prices.
The jail food was inedible, he said, adding that he survived on low-fat milk and oranges. Not even the guards ate the food, he said.

at 6:13 AM

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

yeah so will any of it matter? Colorado has all those prisons and makes great money torturing people biggest example of torture Tommy Silverstein.Does Doug think the state cares he lost 47lbs in 180 days while thousands are tortured for years and year and years? Judge Brimmer wont even hear Tom's case at over 10,000 days of isolation.

5:23 AM

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