Date: 02/04/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-034

SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer Senate Bill 09-034 to the Committee of the WPASS



02:07 PM -- Senate Bill 09-034

Senator Kester, bill sponsor, provided an overview of SB 09-034. He explained that this bill changes the security level designation for Centennial Correctional Facility from level IV to a level V facility. He distributed a handout (Attachment B).

09SenateJud0204AttachB.pdf

02:10 PM -- Gary Maas, representing the Department of Corrections, spoke in support of the bill. He explained that the statute designates the security level for each prison facility. He stated that the bill changes the facility designation of Centennial Correctional Facility from a level IV to a level V facility.


02:12 PM

Senator Carroll asked if any of the inmates are impacted by this change. Mr. Maas stated that it does not because offender rights are based on the offenders themselves, not the designation of the facility.

02:13 PM -- Christie Donner, representing the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, provided the committee with her concerns about the bill and the change in designation. She discussed the characteristics of a level V facility. She stated that Colorado leads the nation in the percentage of the prison population housed in high level facilities. She explained her concerns with the treatment of inmates in level V facilities. She discussed ways the bill might be amended. First, Ms. Donner would like the state to begin looking at where and how inmates with mental illness are housed. Second, she believes that all of the classifications used by the department should be reviewed.


02:19 PM

Senator Hudak stated that it is important to look at how criminals are housed; however, this bill is simply a technical change. Senator Kester commented that Ms. Donner may be quoting statistics that are out of date. He stated that he believes that Colorado has made advancements in the treatment of the mentally ill in state prisons.
BILL:SB09-034
TIME: 02:21:31 PM
MOVED:Carroll M.
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 09-034 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a 7-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hudak
Yes
King K.
Yes
Lundberg
Yes
Newell
Yes
Renfroe
Yes
Carroll M.
Yes
Morse
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS