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As I wrote in July, one of the silver linings in this economic crisis is that it has spurred a long-overdue reevaluation of incarceration and corrections-programs in numerous US states. Colorado is now the latest:
Colorado officials plan the early release of 15 percent of inmates in state prisons to help slash $320 million from the state budget.
The cuts that took effect Tuesday call for the release of 3,500 of the 23,000 inmates over two years, saving the state about $45 million, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti said.
An additional 2,600 parolees, or 21 percent of those currently on parole, will be released from intense supervision.
Legislators sidestepped opposition from the correctional officers union by vowing not to cut staff. The reduction in inmates will account for all savings.
Like the legislation we’ve seen elsewhere, this is a responsible plan, not a wholesale release of violent criminals.
Prisoners eligible for early release are those within six months of their mandatory release date. Those eligible for early parole release must have served at least half of their supervised term.
Sex offenders do not qualify. Other offenders, including those who committed violent crimes, will undergo more rigorous reviews.
Still, opponents are ignoring the sober planning involved in these reforms and stoking fears that the cuts will lead to more crime. In California, the tactic, coupled with a high profile case, threatens to derail the effort at the last-minute.
5 Comments
Yeah,Colorado is very strange. We don’t really have any moderates here. It is almost all far right or far left.
Once upon a time I too was a Colorado resident and it’s a strange place indeed. The middle of the political spectrum is a ghost town.
It’s great for supporters of this policy change to use the economic argument to suggest the need for a new path. But in order for this to work, they will also have to offer a positive argument for why this is the right thing to do. The punitive approach to crime has been a colossal, abject failure. Alternatives are available, including significantly reducing what things can land you in prison (most importantly, drug use.) It’s time to make that case.
I agree 100% David. So long as the argument is economics-based, it only takes a recovery to put us back in the same position of locking up every tom dick and harry that looks at John Law crook-eyed. Jail time for drug use / possession is simply insane.
Yes, agreed.