U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Fall 2003 Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Adult Prison and Parole Population Projections: Juvenile Commitment and Parole Population Projections

NCJ Number
206860
Author(s)
Linda Harrison; Nicole Hetz
Date Published
December 2003
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This report presents the Fall 2003 adult prison and parole population projections and juvenile commitment and parole population projections, as estimated by the Colorado Department of Corrections and the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Corrections.
Abstract
Several data sources were used to develop the adult projection model, including data from the Department of Correction (DOC), the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and the Criminal Justice Database. The premise of the adult projection model is that new prison commitments are determined by the State population and aged-based prison incarceration rates. A reliable forecast of prison population is then made by combining new commitments with estimates of average length of stay (ALOS) in prison. These calculations indicate that between 2001 and 2010, the rate of incarceration in Colorado is expected to substantially decline. The three-step process for statewide population projections is presented. A historical overview of issues affecting the projections is presented, including the 1995 House Bill that allowed "earned time" for certain non-violent offenders. The findings of the adult prison population projections are then presented, followed by the findings for the adult parole projections. Findings indicate that the adult prison population in Colorado is expected to increase 30.9 percent between July 2003 and July 2009; the male prison population is expected to increase 30.1 percent, while the female prison population is expected to increase 39.5 percent during this time period. The total number of offenders on parole in Colorado is projected to increase 38.7 percent between July 2003 and July 2009. Next, the juvenile projection model is explained, followed by a review of recent legislation affecting juvenile commitment and parole populations. The findings on juvenile population projections indicate that statewide juvenile commitment is expected to increase 7.5 percent between July 2003 and July 2009, while juvenile parole growth is expected to hit 11.6 percent over the projection period. Tables, figures