criminal justice reform
-
Colorado lawmakers again try to raise minimum age to criminally charge kids to 13
—
by
A bill introduced in the state House Monday seeks to raise the minimum age for criminal prosecution from 10 to 13 years old – reigniting a failed legislative effort from last year. If passed into law, House Bill 1249 would remove children aged 10, 11 and 12 from the juvenile court’s jurisdiction and increase the…
-
Colorado legislature OKs reducing prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education
—
by
Colorado has among the worst recidivism rates in the country, with over 50% of people released from prison ending up back behind bars within three years. On Friday, Colorado lawmakers passed a bill supporters say would help change that. If signed into law, House Bill 1037 would reduce prison sentences for non-violent offenders who complete higher education while incarcerated.…
-
Colorado report explores gaps in services if children can’t be criminally charged until 13
—
by
A task force studying the gaps in services if policymakers raise the minimum age that Colorado children can be charged with crimes released its final report, recommending a slew of changes to mitigate potential impacts. The Pre-Adolescent Task Force was created by House Bill 22-1131, passed by the legislature in June. The bill originally sought…
-
Colorado lawmakers advance bill to prevent police from lying to minors during interrogations
—
by
Lorenzo Montoya spent more than 13 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 2000, when Montoya was 14 years old, he confessed to committing a murder after Denver police told him there were fingerprints, shoe prints and saliva at the crime scene proving his guilt. Montoya said the police told him he would go to…
-
Colorado legislature unanimously OKs expanding post-conviction DNA testing
—
by
In the 20 years since Colorado’s post-conviction DNA testing law was established, only three people have been exonerated for DNA-related reasons. Colorado lawmakers want to change that with House Bill 1034, an effort to expand access to post-conviction DNA testing. The state legislature unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday with the Senate’s final vote. Now, the…
-
House passes bill to reduce prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education
—
by
An effort to incentivize Colorado prisoners to pursue higher education took a major step forward on Tuesday, receiving near-unanimous approval from the state House of Representatives. House Bill 1037 would deduct six months from an inmate’s prison sentence for earning a certificate while incarcerated, one year for an associate or bachelor’s degree, 18 months for a master’s degree…
-
House passes bill to reduce prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education (copy)
—
by
An effort to incentivize Colorado prisoners to pursue higher education took a major step forward on Tuesday, receiving near-unanimous approval from the state House of Representatives. House Bill 1037 would deduct six months from an inmate’s prison sentence for earning a certificate while incarcerated, one year for an associate or bachelor’s degree, 18 months for a master’s degree…
-
Bills advance to prevent police lying to minors, expand DNA testing, limit prison restraints
—
by
The House Judiciary Committee advanced a series of bills Tuesday that seek to prevent police from lying to minors, expand post-conviction DNA testing and limit the use of restraints in prisons. If passed by the full state legislature, House Bill 1042 would make any statements obtained by juveniles during interrogations inadmissible in court if law…
-
Colorado rolls out emergency alert system for missing Indigenous people
—
by
A new emergency alert system that focuses on missing Indigenous people in Colorado is scheduled to go live on Friday. The Missing Indigenous Person Alert was created by the state legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 150 in May, which also established the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives to facilitate these investigations. The…
-
Alamosa City Council approves funding for recall of controversial San Luis Valley district attorney
—
by
After listening to an hour of public comment regarding their controversial district attorney, including testimony from the police chief and city manager, the Alamosa City Council voted 4-1 to use taxpayer dollars in an effort to recall him. Alonzo Payne took office in 2021 and has three years left on his term, but a recall…
