Julesburg Public Library

Correctional institutions historically have used external classification systems to determine the security and custody level of an offender's placement. Methods of internal classification--determining housing, programming, and work assignments within a facility--often have been more informal, subjective, less standardized, and more inconsistent. Inmate assaults and subsequent litigation in many states, along with an increased emphasis on offender...

"The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) made formal request to the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), U.S. Department of Justice, to have an external review of its offender classification system and its administrative segregation policies and practices."--P. 2.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted almost every aspect of society, including the criminal justice system, leaving crowded courts, prisons and jails especially susceptible to the outbreak. This memorandum provides an overview of how prisons in Colorado are reacting to this public health emergency.