Rights of Prisoners

We address the crisis of over-incarceration and the rise of the for-profit private prison industry, and we fight to ensure that the criminal justice system treats all prisoners fairly, especially those groups most at-risk, women, juveniles and immigrants. Our largest victory in Colorado achieved massive prison and jail condition reforms, particularly in the area of inmate health care, by winning Ramos v. Lamm, the 1980 case that led to the restructuring of the Colorado prison system and led to the closure of “Old Max,” Colorado’s original maximum security prison. In 2010, we helped pass a law that bans the unconscionable practice of shackling of pregnant inmates while they are giving birth.