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Colorado’s prison problem is underfunding. The legislature’s answer was early release.
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s prison problem is underfunding. The legislature’s answer was early release.

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice On May 19, Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills that will accelerate the release of inmates from Colorado's prisons. No ceremony. No bill-specific statement. The governor's office issued an administrative notice listing six pieces of legislation and went about its day. The two prison bills, SB26-159 and SB26-158, arrived at his desk with the claim that Colorado's prisons are overcrowded.  The population pressure is real. The projected increase in the male inmate population this fiscal year is the largest in 14 years, with the exception of the post-pandemic rebound in FY 2021-22. But the legislature's own budget documents tell a different story about why. Colorado does not have a prison space problem. It has a fund...
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Colorado Democrats Push Prison Release Measures As Capacity Pressures Mount
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Democrats Push Prison Release Measures As Capacity Pressures Mount

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Three months after the legislative Joint Budget Committee approved emergency funding for nearly 1,000 more beds in Colorado's prisons, the system is already near capacity again. Gov. Jared Polis asked the committee for up to $200 million to reopen a private prison. It set aside about $6 million to partially reopen the facility but, it will cost another $40 million a year to operate it. That's a non-starter for many Democrats who have introduced bills aimed at lowering the prison population instead. State analysis shows that while admissions have been constant, releases are down. State Rep. Jennifer Bacon says the Parole Board has released only 29 inmates this year out of nearly 240 who are past their parole e...
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State Triggers Emergency Prison Measures Due to Overcrowding
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The Gazette, Approved, State

State Triggers Emergency Prison Measures Due to Overcrowding

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Gazette Ongoing issues within the Colorado Department of Corrections have prompted the state to trigger its Prison Population Management Measures — a policy framework established in 2018 to address overcrowding. It marks the first time the measures have been put into effect. Under the law, the governor must implement the management measures if the state’s prison vacancy rate stays below 3% for 30 consecutive days, a threshold that was met on Aug. 16. The issue of overcrowding in the state correctional facilities has been a growing concern for months, with county sheriffs sounding the alarm in May over the shortage of prison beds, leading to increased strain on local jails. Facing a budget shortfall of over $1 billion, state lawmake...
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Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate
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Top Stories, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver Police arrested 38-year-old Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith early Monday morning, July 1, following the death of his cellmate at the Downtown Denver Detention Center. The alleged homicide came just hours after Roybal-Smith was jailed on unrelated charges—less than a day after two Aurora stabbings. Roybal-Smith’s criminal history spans nearly two decades and includes convictions for assault, felony menacing, DUI-related vehicular assault, and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. He’s also faced repeated parole violations and multiple arrests involving weapons. Despite this record, he was granted early release in 2023. Denver Police said deputies found an unresponsive man in a shared jail cell around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Off...
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