CANON CITY, Colo.—Lawmakers have agreed to free up money to pay district attorneys’ offices for prosecuting state inmates accused of committing crimes in prison.
DAs routinely prosecute those cases and are reimbursed by the state. But the Department of Corrections said last month it couldn’t pay for any cases since July 1 because two death-penalty cases had racked up big bills.
The Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee this week agreed to transfer funds within the Department of Corrections to pay the bills.
Thom LeDoux, district attorney-elect for the 11th Judicial District, told Gov. Bill Ritter he would suspend prosecution of prison crimes until his office was paid. LeDoux’s district includes a large prison complex in Canon City.
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Information from: Canon City Daily Record,
