The old truism was, “Do the crime, do the time.”
The new reality falls far short of that.
Criminals who go to prison in Colorado typically don’t serve their full sentence. Not even close. That might surprise a lot of Coloradans, but it is standard procedure.
Felons by and large can be considered for parole after they have served as little as half their sentence. That’s after subtracting “earned time” — credit given for participating in prison jobs, job training, literacy classes and assorted other activities that jailers want to encourage — as well as credit for the time spent in jail while the inmate was a defendant awaiting trial.
The upshot is hardened criminals typically leave prison all too soon, and many of them commit more crimes.
But don’t expect Colorado’s Legislature to do anything about it. Ruling Democrats have been slashing criminal penalties for years as part of a “justice reform” agenda pushed by their party’s fringe. It ensures serious lawbreakers will be less likely to wind up behind bars in the first place.