Colorado speeds prison releases

Colorado is trying to relieve prison crowding with faster movement at the back end of the system, while the federal Bureau of Prisons is shifting some people into minimum-security camps before release. The two moves were announced days apart and use different tools, but both focus on who can be moved sooner and to what setting. In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill on June 2 updating a 2018 prison population law after lawmakers said the existing process had done little to open beds. At the federal level, the Bureau of Prisons said on May 28 that eligible people nearing release can now be transferred to camps once they receive a residential reentry center or home-confinement date. ### Why did Colorado change a law it had already passed in 2018? Colorado lawmakers first built the prison population management law as an emergency valve. House Bill 18-1410 required the Department of Corrections to act when the prison bed vacancy rate fell below 3% for 30 consecutive days. That threshold was reached in 2025, triggering the law for the first time. By January 2, 2026, the results were limited. (coloradonewsline.com) Colorado Newsline reported that the parole board had reviewed 88 people under the law’s criteria and released 29. At the end of December, the prison vacancy rate stood at 2.91%, and legislative policy analyst Justin Brakke said, “I think the short answer is it’s not doing much.” ### What does the new Colorado law actually change? (coloradonewsline.com) Senate Bill 26-036 raises the trigger for prison population management measures from a 3% vacancy rate to 4%, according to the Colorado General Assembly. The law also keeps the measures in place until the vacancy rate rises above 5% for 30 consecutive days. The enrolled bill adds reporting and process requirements around community corrections, mandatory release dates, conditional releases and parole-eligible inmates. (coloradonewsline.com) It also changes the vacancy calculation by including people under Colorado Department of Corrections jurisdiction who are being housed in local jails. Colorado lawmakers said the revisions were needed to improve data, transparency and accountability in how the state manages prison crowding. (leg.colorado.gov) ### How big is the Colorado backlog behind this debate? Denver7 reported in May that 4,974 Colorado inmates were past their parole eligibility date, citing the Colorado Department of Corrections. Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat and bill sponsor, said lawmakers were not getting enough data on releases and parole timing. Colorado has also been dealing with county jail backup tied to prison crowding. (leg.colorado.gov) Earlier reporting from Colorado Newsline said the law was strengthened after the first round of population measures failed to produce enough movement once prisons approached full capacity. ### What is the federal Bureau of Prisons doing differently? The Bureau of Prisons said on May 28 that it is expanding use of minimum-security camps as “transitional placement sites” for eligible people preparing to return to their communities. (denver7.com) The agency said institutions should begin transfers immediately once an approved person receives a residential reentry center or home-confinement placement date. (coloradonewsline.com) BOP Director William K. Marshall III said the goal is to provide “appropriate preparation, structure, and support” before release. The bureau said the first phase will prioritize approved people now housed in low-security institutions who qualify for camp placement, and it said sex offenders, deportable aliens, disruptive group members, terrorists, people requiring heightened monitoring, people with recent serious misconduct and cases presenting an identifiable public-safety risk are excluded. (pprsus.com) ### What comes next in Colorado? Colorado’s broader prison-capacity package includes Senate Bill 26-159, which creates a 13-member Department of Corrections working group to develop recommendations for a prison capacity management plan. The law requires an interim report in December 2026 and a final report by June 30, 2028. The Bureau of Prisons said its camp-transfer policy is already in effect under Program Statement 5100.08 CN-3, while Colorado’s new prison population management law is listed by the legislature with an August 12, 2026 effective date unless otherwise specified. (correctionalnews.com) (leg.colorado.gov)