Last year, Colorado lawmakers passed an unusual law.

It directed every county in the state to set up in-person voting for incarcerated people in jails, many of whom are awaiting trial and haven’t been convicted of a crime.

The new law is the first of its kind in the nation. It's an effort to support voting rights for a population that is often considered out of sight, out of mind.

Alex Burness writes for Bolts, a publication that covers issues of criminal justice and elections. He said that while some cities like Denver have supported voting in jails, Colorado’s statewide initiative was groundbreaking: Turnout in the state’s jails increased roughly by a factor of 10.

Alex spoke in March with host Erin O’Toole about the impact of the new law. We’re listening back to the conversation today.

Read Alex’s article on voting in Colorado jails.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.