Criminal sentencing bill is flawed, but debate over sentencing is long overdue
- April 21, 2009
JUSTICE – Prison Spending and Sentencing
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- JUSTICE – Prison Spending and Sentencing
Don’t let Clements tragedy derail Colorado’s criminal justice reform efforts0
- April 10, 2013
Let’s not allow a tragedy to undo years of careful work toward sound policy reforms.
READ MORETrust Judges with Juvenile Placements0
- April 16, 2012
When Colorado lawmakers created the direct-file option, the expectation was that it would be used primarily for homicide cases. However, less serious offenders and juveniles who never spent time in a juvenile facility being sent to the adult system indicate the current system has gone too far and, like other governmental functions, needs appropriate checks and balances.
READ MOREJudicial review of direct file in Colorado good for juvenile justice0
- March 10, 2012
Based on a totality of the factors, we believe that judicial review must be an integral part of transferring a juvenile to criminal court, given both the rehabilitative aspects of juvenile offending and the specialized programing offered in the juvenile justice system.
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2011 Drug Law Reform in Colorado a Mixed Bag0
- December 2, 2011
In 2010, Colorado lawmakers took a meaningful step towards drug law reform by passing House Bill 1352, which nibbles at the edges of the disastrous War on Drugs by amending some of Colorado’s controlled substance statutes.
And while lawmakers continued that reform momentum in 2011, those efforts were tempered by other bills that expanded an already intrusive and expensive drug law regime that returns questionable public safety value.
READ MOREFiscal Conservatives Should Want Colorado Parolees To Succeed0
- May 10, 2011
To be sure, when offenders released to parole then re-offend (commit crimes), a revocation of parole (or a new prosecution) and a return to prison is a necessary part of the price we pay for separating criminals from the public. But technical parole revocations back to prison (where there is not a new crime, but rather some violation of the terms of parole) is an available area for lawmakers to seek out reforms for both cost savings and more efficient use of existing criminal justice resources.
READ MOREAudio: Sentencing Reform in the 2011 Colorado General Assembly0
- February 10, 2011
On Tuesday, February 8th the Independence Institute’s Justice Policy Initiative, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, and the Pew Center on the States came together again to hold a panel event at the University Club to discuss the work by the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) and sentencing reform in 2011. Despite
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