Our department's mission is to protect the public through effective management of criminal offenders in controlled environments that are efficient, safe, humane and appropriately secure, while also providing meaningful work and self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders with community reintegration. The DOC currently has a jurisdictional population of almost 14,500 offenders housed in 22 state facilities, four private prisons and 27 community corrections programs. Another 3,500 offenders are under parole supervision by the department. The current offender population represents an increase of close to 44 percent since 1993 and a doubling in size since 1990. During this period of growth in DOC, Colorado's serious crime rate has fallen dramatically.
Most knowledgeable people find a clear connection.
Thousands of crimes have been prevented simply because serious criminals are incarcerated and unable to commit them. Gov. Owens dedicated the new Sterling Correctional Facility in June and by its build-out next summer, it will house 2,445 offenders. Managing growth of this magnitude takes planning, legislative and executive branch support, and a professional and dedicated staff. Since being appointed as executive director of the DOC in January, I have been delighted to find that DOC has all three. Because the vast majority of the offenders in the DOC will eventually return to the community, DOC staff correctional officers, case managers, wardens, teachers, counselors, community corrections agents and parole officers work hard, day in and day out, to provide education, vocational skills, treatment and assistance in community reintegration necessary to give the offenders the best possible opportunities to succeed upon release.