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The number of inmates in Colorado prisons is falling for the first time in years, and economists predict a steeper slide in coming years due to new state laws.
Since fiscal 1993, the population in state prisons rose steadily from about 9,200 to about 23,000 in fiscal 2009, according to data from the Department of Corrections.
That fell 1.4 percent to 22,860 inmates as of last June. State officials have credited recidivism programs, slightly higher release rates, decisions by the parole board and fewer new court convictions for the decline in inmates.
