District attorneys across the Colorado summarily rejected a legislative proposal to lower the degree of penalty for most non-violent crime. They do this in spite of empirical evidence that such legislation would augment public safety and lower costs sustained by the Department of Corrections. They do this because they are fundamentally not public servants with the publics beast interest at heart but rather politicians who care more for re-election then the public they falsely serve.

Their rejection of science begs a larger number of questions. Are Colorado’s district attorneys working for the long-term good of the state as a whole? Do they fear the reprisal of their right wing conservative base more then doing whats right for the State and its citizens? Or do they simply work for the Department of Corrections, helping perpetuate the “revolving door” and supplying free labor for the DOC?  Not to mention those who profit from prisons--like our former Govener, Bill Owens who had a direct financial stake in prison services.

The answer is yes and no. They do have strong ties to the DOC. They, like the DOC are a bureaucracy and bureaucracies often care more for their self interest then the mission they pro port to support. But they are also politicians. I think many people who fallow politics would agree that politicians and politics in general, revolve around four things as it is practiced in the America today. These four things are; 1) Politics manly revolves around self interest; 2) Politicians must acquire wealth, power, and status regardless of weather there goals and aims are altruistic; 3) The issues and ideals that are espoused by politicians are more often then not political weapons and not in themselves valued by politicians; and 4) All of the above principles apply equally to bureaucracies.

In one story in the Denver Daily News, the DA’s believe that crime would rise as a result of the proposed bill, SB-286. They cite the criminal justice “fear factor” as a deterrent for criminal activity, and believe a softening of consequences would result in an increase in crime. These are as big a lie as the so called death comities that republicans claim health care reform would lead too. Any politician or DA who says otherwise is a lier plain and simple and makes a statement that no reputable criminologist would suport.

However, thousands of studies (yes thousands of studies this is meant litrally here) performed by criminologists over the years, along with a recent study done by the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, confirm that the threat of consequences by the criminal justice system has little or no effect on criminal behavior. This is a simple and irrefutably fact.

In light of these not-so-recent revelations, the commission, convened by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter in 2007 to analyze and make recommendations for the criminal justice system, created Senate Bill 286, a sweeping reform bill focused on rehabilitating low-level felony offenders rather than long-term incarceration. But it is apposed by both DA's and the DOC. Why, well look at those four principles above. Neither the DA's or the DOC cares for Colorado's citizens or for truth. What they care about is getting re-elected and using fear to get votes, the DA's, and keeping their budget swollen while bankrupting the rest of the state, the DOC.

Governor Ritter, himself a former Denver district attorney, has endorsed and signed the bill, along with Senate president Brandon C. Schaffer and Speaker of the House Terrance D. Carroll. At least there are a few politicians who will acknowledge fact and treat public policy in a reality based way.

But the state’s district attorneys chose to ignore over 30 years of research and data, not to mention the opinion of a well-respected colleague in Ritter, to reject SB-286, although there is no evidence that their “fear factor” theory has any merit. The fact is the argument they put fourth is an out and out lie!

Why would they want to perpetuate an archaic system that has proven to be ineffective? Well again let's look at those four principles above. DA's are supposed to seek justice and what is beast for society yet here they act in there own self interest by promoting fear to garner votes despite a plummeting crime rate and no evidence to support the deterrence argument. This is the first principle in action—self interest over the public good.

The second principle, politicians must acquire wealth, power, and status regardless of weather there goals and aims are altruistic and one of the beast endorsements and sources of money it the prison guard union and the political donors associated with the DOC which profit from the wrong headed policies of the past. This makes DA's beholden to a special interest and not to you the public.

The issues and ideals that are espoused by politicians are more often then not political weapons and not in themselves valued by politicians; our third principle for how Colorado's DA's act. Look at the actions of so many DA's who appose SB-286! There reasons are not in step with science. There logic for opposition is based upon fear and hurts our society which has an incarceration rate that is the highest in the world. America with 4.7% of the worlds population and 25% of all the prisoners on the planet makes an industry out of prisons which then buys politicians to support it.

Colorado’s legislative sessions ended May 7, so the bill cannot be reintroduced until the sessions re-convene in January 2010. Who are these paid off hacks who call themselves public servants? State Senator Scott Renfroe, of Greeley, and Colorado Senate GOP leader Josh Penry on the lawmaker side to name two of the most corrupt.

The Colorado district attorneys council has had nothing but derision for the bill and is made up of a large staff who sole purpose it would seem is to protect the DOC and those who profit from prisons. These people are:

Ted C. Tow, Executive Director

Mark Randall, Legislative Director

Craig Evans, Chief Information Officer

Cindy Nelson, Administrative Officer/Training Coordinator

Chris Halsor, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor/POST Training Attorney

Linda Johnston, EVAW Project Director

Kelsey Hoffman, Administrative Assistant

Budd Hashimoto, Administrative Assistant

Lisa Rittenhouse, Senior Developer/Analyst

Carron Barrella, Application Support Analyst

Tuan Nguyen, Senior Developer/Analyst

Ben Lamoureux, Senior Developer/Analyst

Xiaobing Liu, Senior Developer/Analyst (CICJIS)

Michael Blumanhourst, Senior Developer/Analyst.

Write them and call them let them know that you know them for the lairs they are! There contact info is 1580 Logan Street, Suite 420, Denver CO 80203, Phone (303) 830-9115, Fax (303) 830-8378.

As for the DA's Do the same as this is our chance and our time to see real reform in the system. It might not be all that needs to be done but it is a start in taking our country back from the right wing that has taken America to a place where we are a prison state second to none in the world.