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Solitary confinement bill advances Colo. House
Posted: May 10, 2011 3:18 PM by Gene Cotton
DENVER (AP) - The Colorado House has advanced a watered-down version of a bill that once sought big changes to how inmates are placed in solitary confinement and for how long.
House lawmakers gave an initial OK to the bill Tuesday and will vote on it one more time before it can clear the chamber. The Senate has already passed it.
It makes small changes to how the corrections department decides to put inmates on solitary confinement.
Originally, the bill would have required state prisons to have a doctor examine inmates with mental illness before they're placed in solitary confinement. It would have also limited solitary confinement to no more than 30 consecutive days.
The amended bill gives prison officials guidelines to determine whether an inmate is a security risk and deserving of solitary confinement.
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