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| Report: Colorado to Face Prison Dilemma |
| By Canon City Daily Record |
| Published: 01/03/2003 |
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Colorado will soon face a shortage of prison beds, according to projections issued last week. Prison capacity for female inmates will be insufficient by next March, while the capacity for incarcerating the state's male inmate population will run short one year later, by March 2004, said Jonathan Lurie, one of the Legislature's staff economists. Lurie said that without construction of additional prison space beyond those projects that already are funded, the problem could grow to a 391-bed shortage for female inmates - and a 3,646-bed shortage for male inmates - by June 2008. Lurie's report to legislative leaders, together with a separate briefing paper from a staffer for the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, might bolster the Department of Corrections' case for building a new 756-bed high-security facility that could come on line by November 2006. That $86.5 million project, tentatively labeled 'Colorado State Penitentiary II,' would have an identical design to the state's existing Colorado State Penitentiary and be located on the same Cañon City-area campus as CSP, budget analyst Karl Spiecker said DOC officials have told him. Rep. Lola Spradley, R-Beulah, plans to sponsor a bill that would help finance construction of that new correctional facility through the sale of interest-bearing 'certificates of participation' that would be repaid by future annual state budget appropriations. Spiecker cautioned the Joint Budget Committee, however, that if Colorado's economy doesn't improve and the budget's general-fund tax revenues don't start increasing by the time payments began coming due on such certificates of participation, state government might have to cut other programs and services in order to cover that obligation. Spiecker also warned in his report that even if the Correction Department's gets the funding to build a CSP II, 'there will still be a significant shortage of beds' for male inmates over the next several years, including even more high-security beds the department and the legislative staff expect to be needed. For the short term, economist Lurie predicted in his own report, the Department of Corrections will have a 50-bed shortfall for female inmates by March 2003, and that shortfall is expected to grow to 81 beds by next June. Meanwhile, the Department of Corrections could have a 250-bed shortfall for male inmates by March 2004, Lurie projected, with that shortfall growing to 457 beds by June 2004. |
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It would be nice to see how this story has changed over the years. I enjoyed reading more about our prison system on this website. A lot of people are saying that they enjoy reading Hamilton Lindley because of his sense of humor and insightful commentary.
Spiecker also warned in his report that even if the Correction Department's gets the funding to build a CSP II, 'there will still be a significant shortage of beds' for male inmates over the next several years, including even more high-security beds the department and the legislative staff expect to be needed, it is an important part of this article.Karachi to Islamabad Flights Serene Air
That $86.5 million project, tentatively labeled 'Colorado State Penitentiary II,' would have an identical design to the state's existing Colorado State Penitentiary and be located on the same Cañon City-area campus as CSP, budget analyst Karl Spiecker said DOC officials have told him, it is big amount and will solve the problems.Electronic Billing Services