The Polis administration wants to open a state prison ASAP. Here’s why lawmakers haven’t signed off
“Herod also wants to study how to phase out the use of private prisons entirely by 2025 or sooner.” Read full article #criminaljusticereform #LeslieHerod #prisonreform #privateprisons #criminaljustice
State officials react to closure of Cheyenne Mountain prison
"The "private prison industry is getting out of prisons," Herod said. "Cities and states are being very clear" that there should not be a profit motive for prisons. Read full article #criminaljusticereform #LeslieHerod #prisonreform #privateprisons #criminaljustice
Could Colorado end the use of private prisons by 2025? Lawmakers want to find out.
"State Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat who chairs the committee on prison population management, said she assumes she would carry the potential bill in the House." “We have to ensure that (prisoners) are set up to succeed and that there’s not profiteering that’s happening on the backs of our criminal justice system,” Herod said." Read full article #criminaljusticereform #LeslieHerod #prisonreform #privateprisons
Hogwarts Houses, Colorado Edition
"Leslie Herod, Colorado State Representative District 8’s legislator displays a wealth of knowledge about prison reform, health care, and more and knows how to get things done: 73 percent of her bills passed during her first term." Read full article #criminaljusticereform #LeslieHerod #prisonreform #healthcare #Ravenclaw
Lawmakers eye drug sentencing reforms to ease projected prison population growth
"This has some lawmakers wondering if too many people addicted to drugs are ending up behind bars." “Are they supposed to be there in the first place or are there other options?” said Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat from Denver and advocate for addiction treatment who will serve as vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee when the legislature gavels in on Jan. 4." "A state budget analyst told lawmakers last week that private prisons are about full, prisoners are sleeping in
JBC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO CORRECTIONS REFORM
“Legislative efforts passed this year, which were designed to more effectively and appropriately reduce the number of inmates through improved parole processes and better targeted use of community corrections. These changes should have meaningful impacts over the coming months and years.” “The working group put forward concrete recommendations to help address prison capacity, and combined with bills we passed this year, our corrections system has many tools at its disposal t
JBC Reaffirms Commitment to Corrections Reform
(June 20) – Today, members of the Joint Budget Committee reaffirmed the work from the 2018 legislative session on pushing for meaningful reforms in Colorado’s corrections system to address prison population and capacity needs.
The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) met today to hear the quarterly revenue forecast and to consider interim supplemental requests, including one from the Department of Corrections (DOC) once again asking for funding to add private prison beds. JBC memb
Senators push to reopen state prison in final week of the session, bucking correctional reform effor
The momentum came to an end Tuesday when the House Judiciary Committee voted 6-5 along party lines to kill the bill. Several of the committee members wanted to prevent the prison from opening so that the Department of Corrections would be pressured to transition inmates into community corrections and parole. The proposed spending comes as the state’s prison population is expected to rise above 20,000 inmates as soon as next year, according to state economists, in part due to
Bill to notify victims of inmate’s location heads to governor
“Families should have the peace of mind of knowing where the person who harmed or killed a loved one is incarcerated,” Wist said in a statement. “This legislation is simply about transparency, and the unanimous support this bill received in both the House and Senate shows how important honoring victims is to this institution.” The bill was co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and it was carried in the Senate by two well-known advocates for victims’ right,
Lawmakers at odds with Hickenlooper administration over leasing private prison
“There is a concern that we are taking human judgment out of the equation and we’re working only for budgetary targets,” Sobanet told the working group. “It merits some evaluation and some stakeholder work.” After a steady decline since 2011, the prison population is expected to start rising again — increasing the stakes for the sentencing reform efforts. But it’s unclear if the lawmakers’ effort to reel in DOC’s budget will lead to prison overcrowding. A report by a Joint Bu
