Governor's office tells Colorado lawmakers the state needs to immediately open a new prison -- possibly two [View all]

The news was met with shock from state lawmakers, who have been reeling in recent weeks as they cut Medicaid and other state services to address a $1 billion budget shortfall

https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/19/colorado-needs-new-prison-legislature/

"Gov. Jared Polis’ office told state lawmakers Wednesday that Colorado must immediately move to open a new prison to handle projected growth in inmate numbers, a revelation that comes as the legislature is cutting social services to address a $1 billion state budget shortfall and despite the General Assembly’s pushback on much smaller funding requests for more beds at existing prisons.

Mark Ferrandino, Polis’ budget chief, warned that one prison — which could cost about $200 million to open — may not be enough to handle the estimated increases in the state’s inmate population.

“We may even need two prisons,” Ferrandino told the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.

The news was met with incredulity from the JBC, which has been reeling in recent weeks as it cuts Medicaid and other state services to address a gap between how much money it has to spend and the cost of continuing current state programs. The governor’s office had warned JBC that Colorado was likely to need a new prison in the coming years, but it said the decision could wait until after Polis leaves office in early 2027."

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I can't even imagine what Polis is thinking here. Maybe he's hoping to get in good with the oligarchs before he leaves office.