Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Corrections System

Colorado Senate Advances Plan To Address Prison Overcrowding Crisis
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Senate Advances Plan To Address Prison Overcrowding Crisis

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette As lawmakers work to complete the next state budget, they are intensifying efforts to address overcrowding and capacity challenges within the Department of Corrections and related agencies — issues that have contributed to increased spending in the budget. The state Senate on Friday gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 159, specifically designed to work on the capacity issue. The measure, sponsored by Democratic Sens. Julie Gonzales of Denver and Mike Weissman of Aurora, has two components. One would require the creation of a working group to make recommendations for a corrections capacity management plan, including input from affected parties. That’s been part of the Joint Budget Committee’s demand for a com...
Denver Judge Says Colorado Prison Work Policies Violate State Constitution
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Denver Judge Says Colorado Prison Work Policies Violate State Constitution

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado A Denver judge on Friday ruled that the Colorado Department of Corrections has been violating a 2018 amendment to the state constitution by requiring people in state prisons to work under the threat of solitary confinement and other punishments. The ruling comes as part of a class action lawsuit filed four years ago by Harold Mortis, who's serving a 40-year sentence at the Sterling Correctional Facility for a 2016 second-degree murder charge, to which he pleaded guilty. The suit was filed on behalf of thousands of people who are incarcerated in Colorado state prisons. Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace ruled that CDOC, its director Moses Stancil, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are violating people's rights under Article II, Section...
Federal Investigation Targets Colorado’s Prison Policies and Youth Facility Failures
Approved, State, The Gazette

Federal Investigation Targets Colorado’s Prison Policies and Youth Facility Failures

By: Cleo Westin | The Gazette The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into possible constitutional violations of Colorado prisoners through inadequate treatment and transgender housing policy, according to a release by the agency. The department’s letter of notice to Gov. Jared Polis on Monday identified housing “biological males” in female units in violation of religious freedom, inadequate medical care, excessive force and inadequate nutrition in youth facilities as matters it will investigate. The Department of Justice’s action to investigate aspects of an entire state’s prison system appears to be the first of its kind in 2025. It comes following a 2024 settlement on the treatment of transgender prisoners and several reports of inadequate care at prisons and you...

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