Colorado’s prison budget nears $1 billion as inmate population grows. Frustrated leaders wanted acti
"In the current budget, the state counts 14,505 beds at state corrections facilities; 3,371 at private prisons; and 669 jail beds. The benchmark vacancy rate is 2 percent, but it sat at less than 1 percent, or 93 beds, at the end of 2018. A recent governor’s office report found that as many as 37 people go to prison each month, but it fluctuated as high as 131 new offenders at one point." "But instead of opening a new prison to house the additional inmates, state lawmakers wa
