Judge Rules Colorado Violated Constitution on Prisoner Labor
A Denver District Court judge has ruled that the Colorado Department of Corrections and Governor Jared Polis violated the state constitution by forcing prisoners to work. This ruling stems from a class action lawsuit arguing that such practices contravene Colorado’s constitutional amendment, which prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude with no exceptions. The court ordered CDOC to cease threatening and using segregation as punishment for not working and to end policies that “double charge” non-working inmates.
John Q. Hosedrinker