Most criminals doing time have to regain their freedom at some point and — hope against hope — become productive members of society. Clearly, though, Colorado is not keeping some of them behind bars long enough or helping them mend their ways while they’re there.
After all, the highest priority of our justice system must be to keep the law-abiding majority safe. Even our offender-friendly Legislature — which has gone out of its way to slash our state’s prison population at a breakneck pace — must realize that.
But evidence to the contrary keeps cropping up. Consider a couple of recent sensational crimes — both terrifying, both tragic — about which The Gazette updated readers last week…