An audit of the Colorado Department of Corrections has uncovered "erroneous information and incorrect calculations" over four years of budget requests reviewed.

An independent third party conducted the audit that resulted in nearly three dozen recommended changes.

CDOC Executive Director Moses "Andre" Stancil told the state's Joint Budget Committee he agrees with the recommendations in the 101-page report that found CDOC's approach to budgeting is unlike any other prison system in the country, and not in a good way.

"Everything has been such a fluid mess over the years," said budget writer and Republican state Rep. Rick Taggert of Grand Junction.

The audit found CDOC's budget requests have had "inaccurate, incomplete, and inconsistent" information, it's method for calculating its caseload has changed without justification or explanation, its staffing formula is outdated and led to $29 million in unbudgeted expenses in 2024, and its clinical staff costs doubled last year despite 30% of its positions being vacant. Auditors say the department has also inflated its operational costs and poorly managed its cash funds.

"Lack of transparency, lack of accuracy, flawed approach to everything you've been doing basically," said Republican state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer of Weld County, who also sits on the Joint Budget Committee. The committee requested the audit after its analysts found the math just wasn't adding up year after year.

"Our budget analyst, at one point, pounded hands on the table, which I've never seen a budget analyst do," said Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges of Greenwood Village, who chairs the Budget Committee.

While CDOC overestimated expenses like utilities, it underestimated expenses like staffing, leaving budget writers unsure of the impact on the state's overall budget.

"They have such a flawed approach to budgeting that we on the Joint Budget Committee don't really know from a common sense perspective, 'how much do you actually need?'" Kirkmeyer said.

She says CDOC's methods are so flawed that it not only changes its budget requests several times a year, but it also submitted one set of numbers in the morning and another set in the afternoon. 

CDOC says it can't implement all the recommendations until November of next year.

Taggart, Kirkmeyer, and Bridges say CDOC needs to work faster.

"This isn't time to pack the car, this is time to get on the road and go," said Bridges.

CDOC says it will talk to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' office about trying to implement some of the changes this budget year. Polis, who's term-limited, leaves office in November of 2026.

While the audit findings aren't good, Bridges says at least now budget writers know what the issues are and how to fix them, which he says is "good government."

The CDOC sent this statement to CBS Colorado:

DOC leadership is focused on identifying and resolving systemic challenges to improve our operations, and we are committed to reviewing and improving transparency around our financial and operational practices. The evaluation, which was requested by DOC in partnership with the JBC, highlights areas where we are already making progress, including reducing clinical staff vacancies in hard-to-fill positions by over 10%, from 40% to 30%. It also offers additional recommendations to further enhance our operational efficiency. 

Importantly, this evaluation also highlights the need for ongoing collaboration, adequate funding, and sustained support to address critical resource challenges that affect our ability to deliver on our mission.  The report also emphasizes improving how we develop, present, and communicate budget requests. These refinements aim to create more effective and transparent processes, ensuring our needs are clearly understood and aligned with operational priorities. 

The  CDOC reaffirms its dedication to its mission and staff through responsible resource management. We appreciate the work of the auditors and stakeholders involved in this budget evaluation. While we are committed to leveraging the findings to enhance our operations, moving forward with the report's recommendations will require further examination, discussion, and adequate funding. 

We look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to achieve sustainable improvements.