Sentencing in Colorado.

I'll tip my hat to Coyote Gulch for pointing out a great series in the Rocky about the major items in the state budget that going into creating the fiscal crisis that necessitates Referendum C. The series is a policy wonk's dream. Today, the focus is on the criminal justice system.

Cliff Notes version (please read the stories if you care about these issues, however, although much of this has already been covered in this space): Prison populations in Colorado are surging due to new sentencing laws, a big share of the growth comes from drug cases, and favoring treatment over prison could often save the state big bucks.