Research Hub · Lived expertise in action
Research and lived experience can name what needs to change. Four routes turn that into a rule, a law or a court order. Each one is slower or faster, cheaper or costlier. Pick one to see the steps in Colorado.
The state Board of Health sets the sanitary rules for prisons (6 CCR 1010-13, including the 61–86°F range). The Department of Corrections writes its own regulations, like the property and clothing rules.
Day 1Any interested person has the right to petition a state agency to adopt, change or repeal a rule. Include who you are, the exact wording you want, the agency's legal authority, and why.
WeeksEmail the Board of Health written comments by the 1st of the month; it meets the 3rd Wednesday, with 2 minutes of public comment per person (sign up by 5 pm the day before).
MonthlyIf the board opens rulemaking, that's when testimony is taken. Bring people who lived it and the data.
MonthsDepartment of Corrections rules on management, discipline and classification are exempt from the public rulemaking process; there's only a suggestions email. Pressure comes through the legislature, the governor or the press.
OngoingFastest and cheapest, when the agency has the power.
Rough comparison, not a measurement.
Each legislator can request 5 bills by December 1, 2026, and only 2 more after. Bring them a one-page ask and the people it affects.
FallLegislative legal staff write the bill. Last day for any draft requests: January 15, 2027.
Dec–JanThe 2027 session runs January 11 to May 10. Most bills must be introduced by early February.
FebEvery bill gets a hearing where anyone can testify. This is where lived experience changes minds.
Feb–AprStaff write a fiscal note on what it costs; bills that spend money go to Appropriations and the Joint Budget Committee.
Mar–AprThe governor has 10 days to act during the session and 30 after. A veto can be overridden by two-thirds of both chambers.
May–JuneLasting change and money, if you can win votes.
Rough comparison, not a measurement.
Legislative staff hold a public review and comment hearing about two weeks after you file.
Month 1Three officials set the ballot title and check that it covers only one subject. The last hearing for 2026 was April 15. Challenges can go to the state Supreme Court.
Months 1–3The petition format must be approved before anyone signs.
Month 3Up to six months. For 2023–2026 it took 124,238 valid signatures, 5% of the last Secretary of State vote. Campaigns collect 1.5 to 2 times that, because many are thrown out.
Up to 6 monthsIn 2026 the deadline was August 3. The Secretary of State has 30 days to decide if there are enough.
SummerA change to state law passes with a simple majority. A change to the state constitution needs 2% of voters in each of the 35 senate districts to sign, and 55% to pass.
NovemberGoes around the legislature, but needs money and signatures.
Rough comparison, not a measurement.
People in prison must finish every grievance step before suing. Missing a step can end the case.
30 days to fileCivil rights lawyers or groups like the ACLU of Colorado take conditions cases. Documentation matters: dates, temperatures, names of rules.
MonthsRecords, expert reports, and testimony from people inside. Public data like this site's can support it.
Months to yearsIn 2026 a Denver judge ordered Colorado to stop using isolation to force prison labor. In Texas, a federal judge ordered air conditioning in every prison by 2029.
YearsCan force change when rules break the law or the Constitution.
Rough comparison, not a measurement.
One priority, four routes
One climate-related change, walked through each route.
| Route | What you'd ask for | Who decides | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Add indoor temperature logging to the state's prison health rule, so the 86°F limit can be checked; ask CDOC to issue thermals, sweats and shorts. | State Board of Health; CDOC executive director | CDOC rules are exempt from public rulemaking; the board can decline a petition. |
| Legislature | A bill requiring temperature logs and a heat plan for housing units, like New Mexico's and Texas's logging rules. | Both chambers, the budget committee, the governor | Cost estimates; a veto, like Virginia's 2025 heat bill. |
| Voters | A state law setting a prison temperature standard. | Colorado voters | About 124,000 valid signatures and often $1 million or more to gather them. |
| Courts | An order to fix conditions that violate the Eighth Amendment. | A judge | Every grievance step must be finished first; cases take years. |
Routes work best together: data and testimony from the community, a sponsor in the legislature, a petition to the agency, and the press watching.