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Last week, DRCNet reported on moves in Washington and other states to cut sentences because of budget pressures (http://www.drcnet.org/wol/285.html#washingtonreform). Colorado has now joined the list of states where fiscal crisis may yield sentencing reforms as well. In the last week of April, three bills -- one that would help people avoid prison, one would that shorten sentences for those sent to prison, and one that would help people avoid being sent back to prison -- passed key hurdles in committee.

Taken together, the three bills, if passed, would save the state nearly $10 million by 2005-2006, according to state legislative analysts. All three bills were approved by the House Judiciary Committee.

Senate Bill 328, sponsored by Rep. Tom Plant (D-Netherland), would grant a small increase in "good time" for inmates serving sentences for nonviolent first offenses. Under the bill, good time would increase from 10 to 12 days per month. An inmate serving a one-year sentence would get out 3 ½ weeks early under the proposal. It now awaits action in the House Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 352, sponsored by Rep. Joe Stengel, would allow people who violate their parole for "technical reasons" to be sent to community corrections instead of back to prison. Technical parole violations are those in which no law is broken, only an administrative rule, such as missing an appointment with a parole officer or failing to report a change of address. One out of three parole violations are for technical violations, according to Stengel, who said the bill would save the state $7.7 million in the next two fiscal years.

And Senate Bill 318, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Hefley (R-Colorado Springs) would decrease penalties for possession of one gram or less of any controlled substance, giving judges the option to send a defendant either to probation, county jail or community corrections rather than prison. The bill has been sent to the full House for consideration.

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