Is slavery still alive in Colorado prisons?
A court ruling against forced labor still needs clarification
Eight years after Colorado voters closed a slavery loophole in the state constitution, there’s still disagreement over whether the prison system is violating it.
In 2018, Colorado voters became the first in the nation to ban forced labor as punishment for a crime, closing a loophole in the state constitution that also exists in the U.S. Constitution.
But a state judge ruled last month that the Colorado Department of Corrections has been violating that ban by applying extra punishments like long stretches in solitary confinement to incarcerated people who refuse to work prison jobs that often pay less than a dollar per hour.
Both the Department of Corrections and Gov. Jared Polis told me through spokespeople that they believe slavery and forced labor are wrong and illegal, but they don’t think their policies amount to constitutional violations.
For now, the judge’s decision is on hold while she considers the government’s request to modify her ruling. Under the proposal, punishment for mere refusal to work would still be banned but punishment would be permitted if the refusal leads to other violations, like creating a disturbance or a physical altercation.
The judge’s ruling is due by mid-May, but the incarcerated people challenging the policy disagree with the proposed modification. So whether or not the modification happens, the decision is likely to be appealed, meaning the question of what counts as forced labor in Colorado prisons will be decided by higher courts.
Need to Know
🌿 Communities across Colorado are seeking solutions to historically hot and dry conditions that have reduced water supplies and increased wildfire risks. New state wildfire codes are starting to go into effect in high-risk areas, and Denver and other cities are considering drought surcharges on large water users in addition to outdoor watering restrictions. (Colorado Sun, CPR)
🔌 Power provider Xcel Energy announced a plan to deal with growing demand from data centers. The company’s proposal, which has to be approved by a public oversight board, would require large users like data centers to commit to long-term contracts and pay for the infrastructure needed to serve them. Consumer advocates said the proposal is a good first step toward protecting residential and small business customers from electricity rate increases. (Xcel Energy, Colorado Sun)
🗓️ Employers may have to allow state lawmakers to take unpaid time off work during the legislative session if Gov. Jared Polis signs a bill that passed yesterday. Many lawmakers have other jobs, since they only make between $40,000 to $50,000 for work they do during the 120-day legislative session that runs from January to May. They also get a per diem and reimbursements that can amount to thousands of dollars. (Colorado Politics)
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Something Good
🤠 I’ve been making a lot of meals lately from a cookbook based on dishes served at The Fort restaurant in Morrison. Last night, I used their coffee barbecue sauce to marinate some chicken that I ate with wild rice and roasted broccoli. It was amazing. The experience of eating at the historic restaurant, with its live entertainment and incredible views of the area around Red Rocks, is hard to recreate at home – but the recipes in the cookbook can get you pretty close.