John Miller

Toking and driving: marijuana DUI in Denver?

It was only a matter of time before the conservative faction of the CCJJ would throw a bone to its constituents. The Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) is comprised of a bipartisan collection of...

Would someone get a grip on this medical marijuana issue?

MM dispensary on Colfax Ave.In all reality, medical marijuana has no business being mentioned in a criminal justice column. It has been recognized by medical professionals and Colorado voters as a legitimate medicinal aid to a variety...

Prison reform on the horizon

As if runaway Department of Corrections expenditures and prison populations were not enough to get their attention, Colorado lawmakers and district attorneys have fought the subject of prison reform with a vengeance usually reserved for whoever they’re attempting...

Ritter's recidivism package needs another look

When Adams County Deputy District Attorney Paul Nitze wrote an opinion column for the Aspen Times last week blasting Governor Bill Ritter’s recidivism reduction package, it hardly registered a blip on the BS Sling-O-Meter. After...

Colorado's prison system structured to promote failure

Mike peers from beneath the sackcloth he uses as a blanket, watching coldly as the other shelter residents ready themselves for sleep. The room is lined with beds and smells of body odor and unwashed clothes. Near the...

Madoff sentence misses the point

When master thief/financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison, cheers went up from the victims of his ponzi scheme and from prosecutors and corrections officials all over the country. Finally, white-collar crime is on...

Commission's recommendations on prison reform are in interest of public safety

The Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice was convened by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to conduct a five year study and report, on a yearly basis, its findings and recommendations concerning the criminal and juvenile justice system. The...

Are Colorado's district attorneys on the DOC payroll?

District attorneys across the state summarily rejected a legislative proposal to lower the degree of penalty for most non-violent crime. Their stand is taken in spite of empirical evidence that such legislation would augment public safety and lower...

Are Guantanamo Bay prisoners really better off in US prisons?

As President Obama is attempting to make good on his promise to shut down the prison in Guantanamo Bay, one can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a case of the chicken coming before the egg...

Housing in Littleton unattainable for felons

For ex-prisoners and felons looking to start a new life, they need not look in Littleton.Out of ten apartment buildings surveyed, nine automatically reject applicants with any felony on their record, regardless of severity or how old the...

Currently in Los Angeles