Colorado inmates say state is violating ban on forced work

By COLLEEN SLEVIN
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Two Colorado inmates who say they were pressured into working despite health concerns are suing the state’s prison system, saying it is violating a constitutional ban on slavery and involuntary servitude. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, they claim they effectively had days added to their sentences when they initially refused to work in 2020 because they lost time credits for not following prison rules. In 2018, Colorado voters amended the constitutional amendment outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude to remove a provision that had allowed it for those convicted of crimes. The Colorado Department of Corrections declined to comment.