By Quentin Young | editor
“People understandably build up hope that they're going to have the chance to see the parole board and potentially earn release, and those hopes get dashed through no fault of their own, and there's very little explanation, it really undermines the motivation people need to actually engage in rehabilitation.”
– Dan Meyer, executive director of Spero Justice Center
Billy Hailey, left, worked as a CrossFit coach while in community corrections in Larimer County. He was expecting to enter parole last summer when, instead, the Colorado Department of Corrections determined it incorrectly calculated his sentence and placed him back in prison. (Photo courtesy of Brandin Kreuzer)
By Sara Wilson
Colorado Newsline has communicated with four men who believed they were making progress toward release from prison and rehabilitation through earned time until the state Department of Corrections adjusted their sentences and rescinded their earned time. Similar department actions between July 2025 and March this year have affected at least 10 people who are incarcerated, resulting in decades of additional time in prison time. The department blames “clerical errors.”
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks at a press conference organized by House Democrats outside the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)
Jeffco schools sues Trump administration to block funding cuts due to transgender-inclusive policies
By Lindsey Toomer
Jeffco Public Schools sued the Trump administration Tuesday for threatening $50 million in annual federal funding because of district policies that are inclusive of transgender students. The lawsuit stems from the U.S. Department of Education’s inquiries into the Colorado school district’s policies that allow transgender girls to access girls’ restrooms, participate in girls’ sports teams and share accommodations with students who match their gender identity on overnight trips. The Trump administration claimed the district violated Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools that receive federal funds.
A mailbox in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom)
By Jacob Fischler
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the federal government can continue implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting vote-by-mail, reaching the opposite conclusion that another appeals panel decided over the weekend. The conflict appeared to make it even more clear the issue will have to be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, which already has been asked for its opinion on Trump’s sweeping order that would have a huge impact on states just a little more than three months before the midterm elections.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Greg Lopez will be on ballot as unaffiliated candidate for Colorado governor | By Lindsey Toomer
Commentary: What Colorado loses with the politics of performance | By Jeeva Senthilnathan
Thanks for reading Newsliner. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.