Continue or expand financial support of Colorado's adult pretrial diversion programs.  

Revise C.R.S. 24-31-314 (1) to clarify that Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training should take place during POST (Peace Officer Standard and Training) continuing education and advanced training, rather than during basic academy peace officer training.

 

The Drug Policy Task Force recommends amending section C.R.S. 24-31-314 as follows:

24-31-314. Advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement training.

(1) On and after October 1, 2013, the P.O.S.T. Board is encouraged to include advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement training in the curriculum for persons who enroll in a training academy for basic peace officer training AS AN ELECTIVE TO BASIC FIELD SOBRIETY TEST (BFST) TRAINING RECERTIFICATION.

 

(2) Subject to the availability of sufficient moneys, the P.O.S.T. Board shall arrange to provide training in advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement to drug recognition experts who will act as trainers in advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement for all peace officers described in section 16-2.5-101, C.R.S.

The Commission supports the efforts of the Division of Probation Services and district probation offices to enhance the consistent use of appropriate incentives and intermediate sanctions, in court and out of court, particularly in response to technical violations.

The 19 standard conditions of probation should be reviewed by the Probation Advisory Committee. The Probation Advisory Committee should consider requiring only those conditions that are tailored to each individual, and based on criminogenic risks/needs, and victim and community safety. The PAC should invite members of the CCJJ Re-Entry Probation Task Force to participate in this review. The condition to remain crime-free is reasonable for all offenders.

Every case plan shall be fully implemented and updated regularly to reflect treatment progress and new skills learned.

Invest in evidence-based programs and emerging best practice, treatment and education so that there is sufficient programming available to meet the needs of the offender population.

When possible, participation in programs and treatment phases by offenders in jail or prison should be transferable and accepted across agencies.

To identify the gaps between available services and needs, survey the availability and capacity of all programs in the Department of Corrections, local jails, and community corrections, and compare these with the assessed needs of the corresponding populations.

Provide resources to evaluate the assessment practices and program delivery of community-based and institutional treatment providers.

The state should invest in community-based, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse treatment for all citizens to prevent the need for incarceration, and to provide such treatment as an alternative to incarceration where appropriate.

The General Assembly must substantially increase state funding for evidence-based and promising practices in substance abuse and mental health treatment.

Each judicial district should be required to conduct an inventory of the services and resources, including available housing and the capacity of those resources, to address the needs of offenders reentering the community. This information should be paired with an analysis of the risk/needs of offenders released from the Department of Corrections. Re-entry service gaps must be identified, along with the costs to fill those gaps. Using this information, a plan should be developed that identifies the appropriate parties to provide services and a funding scheme. Inventory reports should be provided to the Division of Criminal Justice, which will forward the information to the Commission.

The Commission supports efforts by the Department of Corrections to expand existing apprenticeship programs.

Post secondary educational opportunities should be expanded for both inmates and staff.

Educate and encourage housing authorities to be no more restrictive than the HUD guidelines in refusing public housing to people with criminal records.

Encourage the use of discretionary parole to community corrections in lieu of homeless parole plans to provide a stable living situation prior to the offender's mandatory parole date (MRD). Six to eight months prior to the MRD, a case manager should submit an application to community corrections for individuals who are likely to parole homeless.

The Commission supports the work of the Governor's Community Corrections Advisory Council in the following initiatives:

The Commission supports an initiative by the Governor's Community Corrections Advisory Council to pilot a carefully controlled study to address the value of providing a two to four week "grace period" in which fees and subsistence payments are delayed until the offender is stabilized in the community. After appropriate data is collected and analyzed, the Advisory Council should determine whether further recommendations to the executive and legislative branches are appropriate.

The Commission supports the initiative proposed by the Governor's Community Corrections Advisory Council to pilot and study the outcome of two groups of offenders: (1) a control group sentenced to standard diversion residential community corrections, and (2) a study group sentenced to nonresidential status with enhanced services. After appropriate data is collected, the Advisory Council should determine whether further recommendations to the executive and legislative branches are appropriate.

New budget requests should include an analysis and discussion of the full fiscal and non-fiscal impact of initiatives on other agencies (for example, the impact that a state-level initiative might have on a county jail).

The Commission requests that the Department of Corrections develop and implement a standardized policy regarding early terminations of parole and require parole officers to submit such requests to the parole board when a parolee has served at least half of the parole period and has met other risk reduction benchmarks. In addition, the Department of Corrections should provide data on the numbers and decisions of early termination requests to the Division of Criminal Justice. The Commission further requires that such request comply with the Victim's Rights Act.*