Prison Moratorium Coalition-ACTION ALERT-Drug Sentencing Reform (SB 177)

[<cdonner2@juno.com>]

PRISON MORATORIUM COALITION
ACTION ALERT -February 6, 2001
SUPPORT SENATE BILL 177

Background:  Incarceration in Colorado has skyrocketed in the last fifteen
years, from just over 3,600 people in 1987 to over 16,500 today. 
Projections indicate that the prison population will increase another 49% to
over 24,500 by Jan. 2007.   Fuelled primarily by the "War on Drugs", drug
offenders are the largest & fastest growing category of felon in prison. 
Last year, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men were sent to prison on a drug
offense.  Consequently, the prison budget is the fastest growing budget in
the entire state budget, increasing from $80 million in 1987 to almost $650
million today-money that is being drained from other critical community
needs like education, treatment, and transportation.  

SB 177 Summary:  In response to suggestions made by the Prison Moratorium
Coalition, Sen Penfield Tate (D-Denver) introduced SB 177 (Drug Sentencing
Reform & Prison Moratorium Bill).  SB 177 would (1) repeal all mandatory
minimum sentences for drug crimes; (2)  repeal the mandatory sentencing
under the "Special Offender" statute; (3) change the habitual offender law
to only include Class 1,2,3 felonies unless the crime was against a child or
a crime of violence; (4)  place a two year moratorium on funding for prison
construction; (5) ban any new private prisons and would prevent renewal of
any existing contracts with private prisons; (6)  establish a task force to
study drug sentencing, alternatives to incarceration and restorative
justice; (7)  prohibit the transfer of Colorado prisoners to out-of-state
facilities and prohibit the housing of out-of-state prisoners in Colorado
private prisons; (8)  establish a council on corrections.

Why Legislators Should Vote "Yes" on SB 177.  Many states across this
country are reevaluating drug policy and its time Colorado did the same. 
"Get tough measures" like mandatory minimum and habitual offender (3
strikes) measures have been proven in a RAND study to be much more expensive
and much less effective in combating drug addiction and trafficking than
treatment and/or traditional sentencing where judges determine the sentence.
 Establishing a drug policy task force is needed to develop a comprehensive
analysis for drug policy reform.
	Building more prisons is not our only choice.  Even with a moratorium,
there are currently over 1,000 empty private prison beds in Colorado and
over 8,000 people in prison are eligible for parole but are still
incarcerated.   We have the time to develop other approaches without making
the huge investment in additional prison expansion projects which take 2-3
years to complete.  WE NEED TO INVEST MORE IN OUR COMMUNITY-NOT CAGES!
In order to capitalize on the growing prison population, a new industry has
emerged--the "private (for-profit) prison".  Colorado currently has 4
private prisons with plans for expansion. Private prisons are a failed
experiment that must be ended.  Once the profit motive is introduced to
prison operations, problems arise as private prison operators prioritize
profits rather than public and prisoner safety and prisoner rehabilitation.
Put simply, for profit private prisons, jails and detention centers have no
place in a democratic society.  Profiteering from the imprisonment of human
beings is unethical, compromises public safety and corrupts justice.

MAKE A CALL TODAY!-Senate Judiciary Committee Vote on February 14th  
SB 177 will have its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on
February 14th at 1:30 p.m. in Senate Committee Hearing Room 353 or 356.
Please make calls to members of this committee to ask them to vote "Yes" on
SB 177.  Even though the Senate Judiciary Committee has a Democratic
majority it will still be difficult to get SB 177 passed. 
WHO'S ONE THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE  (outside metro area call-
1-888-473-8136)
Sen. Ken Gordon (chair) (Democrat-Arap/Denver)(Dist. 35)   303.866.4875;
email: kgordon@sni.net
Sen. Doug Linkhart (vice-chair)  (Democrat-Denver)(Dist. 31)   303.866.4861;
email: linkhart@sni.net
Sen. Ken Arnold (Republican-Adams/Boulder) (Dist. 23)   303.866.4876; email:
karnold@sni.net
Sen. Jim F. Dyer (Republican-Arap/Jeffco) (Dist 26) 303.866.4884; email 
none
Sen. Rob Hernandez (Democrat-Denver)(34)    303. 866.4862; email:
rhernand@sni.net
Sen. Mark Hillman (Rep-Burlington/Baca, Bent, Crowley, El Paso counties)
303.866.6360; e: mhillman@sni.net
Sen. Sue Windels (D-Jefferson County/Arvada)      303.866.4840; email:
windels@sni.net

WHAT DO WE NEED TO WIN  
To get SB 177 out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we'll need 4+ votes out
of  7.   Although all four Democrats have expressed sympathy around needing
to reevaluate sentencing (particularly drug sentencing) and alternatives to
incarceration, we DO NOT have a commitment at this time from any of the
Democrats that they will support SB 177. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Christie Donner, Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice
Center, 303.444.6981; cdonner2@juno.com, www.prison-moratorium.org 


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