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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Officials have lowered projections for Colorado’s future prison population, frustrating some lawmakers.

The Department of Public Safety said in December that prison numbers would hit a record high of more than 24,000 in 2025.

The Gazette reports the department told lawmakers Monday the new number could be nearly 21,000.

Linda Harrison, a department senior analyst, cited trends in criminal filings and parole numbers for the change.

Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver and others questioned the methodology behind the numbers, which affect funding or opening new facilities.

On June 30, about 14,200 inmates were in the corrections department’s 19 prisons.

Nearly 3,900 more were at three private prisons with state contracts. About 1,800 others were in corrections custody but in transition programs, local jails or elsewhere.