New Colorado Law Requires State Minimum Wage For Inmates In External Work Programs

On March 30, 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed legislation, Senate Bill 22-050, that requires private employers administering work programs in coordination with the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) to pay the state minimum wage of $12.56 per hour, instead of  the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. This change is part of a larger change to the focus of the DOC work programs to promote successful rehabilitation, reentry, and reintegration to the community with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism.

This wage scale increase affects the DOC‘s Take TWO (Transitional Work Opportunity) program, a day . . .