Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee.
Under current law, the Centennial south campus of the Centennial correctional facility is only able to house inmates under limited circumstances. The bill would open the facility for close custody inmates and require that for each inmate who is housed at the facility, an inmate must be removed from a private prison until the facility is full. The bill directs the department of corrections (department) to study how to end the practice of using private prisons by 2025 in a responsible way. The study must include: • Evidence-based strategies to stop using private prisons and move individuals into alternative facilities or programs; • An analysis of the economic impacts on affected communities, including the loss of local tax revenue; • An analysis of the impact that reducing private prison beds would have on local governments and community-based providers; • A utilization analysis of all state-operated facilities and all other facilities that can be used for housing inmates; • An analysis of the effect of releasing sex offenders who are assessed as low risk; • An analysis of what state-operated facilities and programs may be utilized to keep pace with demand; • An analysis of the best practices and programs that are necessary for successful reintegration of offenders; • An analysis of the feasibility of the department to obtain private prison facilities in Colorado; and • An analysis of the resources necessary to accomplish the strategies required to transition the state away from private prisons. The bill adds to the list of achievements that allow an inmate to receive earned time showing exemplary leadership through mentoring, community service, and distinguished actions benefiting the health, safety, environment, and culture for staff and other inmates. Under current law, an offender is not entitled to an evidentiary hearing for resentencing when the offender is rejected for placement in a community corrections program. The bill requires the sentencing court to provide the offender with an evidentiary hearing, or in the alternative a new sentencing hearing, for any termination from a community corrections program. The bill amends the escape statutes to exclude direct sentences, transitioning from the department to a community corrections program, or placement in an intensive supervision parole program from the concepts of custody or confinement for purposes of escape. The bill lowers the penalties for escape and attempted escape crimes. The bill creates a new crime of absconding if the location of a person on intensive supervision parole or a person in a community corrections program is unknown to the authorized agency responsible for the person's supervision.
Year
2020
Current status
- Governor Signed (03/06/2020)
- House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (02/27/2020)
- Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (02/24/2020)
- Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole (02/21/2020)
- Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary + Appropriations (02/10/2020)
- House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (02/06/2020)
- House Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (02/05/20)
- House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (02/04/20)
- House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations (01/28/20)
- Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary + Appropriations (01/08/2020)
