The Senate Judiciary committee will be hearing testimony on SB 064 this afternoon. The bill would put limits on the use of solitary confinement for seriously mentally ill inmates and set rules regarding the discipline of and provision of therapy to such inmates.
The bill is sponsored by State Senator Jessie Ulibarri and Representative Joe Salazar.
UPDATE: The bill passed out of committee unanimously, 5-0.
Read the ACLU of Colorado's report on the overuse of solitary confinement for mentally ill prisoners. 

Watch Out of Sight, Out of Mind, a short ACLU of Colorado documentary on one man's experience in solitary confinement.

More about our campaign to end the use of solitary confinement in Colorado.

“The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado is encouraged by 18^th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler’s decision to end his lengthy and expensive pursuit of the death penalty in the trial of Edward Montour.
“We also recognize the courage of Robert Autobee, who spoke out against the deep flaws in Colorado’s death penalty from a unique and extremely personal perspective.  Thankfully, Robert Autobee and his family will now be afforded the closure they have sought for more than a decade.
“The death penalty is expensive to pursue, it does not deter crime or make us safer, and every execution props up an unequal system that can and does make mistakes including the execution of innocent people.  Had this plea of life without parole been accepted when first proposed years ago, the taxpayer dollars that were lost could have been spent on priorities that actually make us safer and prevent violent crime, like updating corrections facilities, providing better law enforcement and corrections training, and improving mental health treatment in Colorado.”

Read this excellent editorial from the Boulder Daily Camera opposing draconian and wasteful measures by the city to crackdown on the homeless population.
Take action now and tell the City Council to reject the "social misbehavior" ordinance which will be considered by the Council tonight.