A statewide committee should be formed to develop an advisory, statewide monetary bond schedule that is generally consistent across jurisdictions. Each judicial district should develop a committee of stakeholders to review the existing monetary bond schedule.

Each judicial district should be encouraged to establish a bond commissioner and process that give authority to the specially trained commissioner or their designee to undertake an individual assessment of the accused and set bonds and/or summonses as appropriate.

Determine the cost and feasibility to develop a standardized comprehensive profile for each convicted felon, to include a Pre-Sentence Information Report (PSIR) that is entered into an automated system and made accessible to authorized personnel.

Representatives from probation, community corrections, DOC, and local jails must work together to develop and implement a protocol whereby a standardized, comprehensive profile of an offender, the offense, and the victim impact--which may include the PSIR--and individual empirically-based assessment information (such as the Level of Supervision Inventory, and specialized assessments), should follow all individuals convicted of a felony throughout the system, from pre-sentence to release. This assessment should be regularly updated, at a minimum prior to significant decision points in custody or during community supervision, to assure that program placement is linked to criminogenic needs and to document treatment progress and new skills obtained. A systematic quality assurance procedure must be implemented with this initiative. Protocols to share this information while protecting the privacy of the individual must be developed and implemented within and across agencies.

Because the research is conclusive that stable and meaningful employment is critical to recidivism reduction, the Department of Corrections should work with the Department of Labor and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, private businesses, trade unions, along with city, county, state and private employers to expand the number and scope of vocational programs offered in prison, and to ensure that the job skills offered by these programs are relevant and transferable to the current job market. Job placement and job readiness programs should be added in the Department of Corrections, and should be a priority for offenders approaching their release date. A focus on creating jobs for individuals coming from the Department of Corrections should be a priority for the collaborating entities.

Upon request and as appropriate, job supervisors at the Department of Corrections should be encouraged to write job recommendations for individuals being released from incarceration.

Technological advances should be explored to provide long distance learning opportunities so that to individuals registered in these classes will not lose time or momentum when transferred to a different facility.

Commission supports the Department of Corrections' effort to expand parenting and bonding programs.

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 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.

The Commission supports the current work by the Interagency Committee on Adult and Juvenile Correctional Treatment and its study of the reliability and validity of the Standardized Offender Assessment-Revised (SOA-R).

Remove the word "calendar" from C.R.S. 17-26-115 to apply the trustee statute to a 30-day period rather than a calendar month.

Clarify C.R.S. 17-26-109 to provide a standardized range of good time credits available to jail inmates.

Modify C.R.S. 17-26-109 to include the ability for jail administrators to award discretionary earned time of 3 to 5 days per 30-day period for the completion of certain programs or education, or for an unusual or extraordinary accomplishment by a jail inmate. This requires that each county sheriff develop an earned time schedule for their jail in keeping with community expectations and standards.

Any statutory impediment to inmates' access to or funding of post-secondary education should be eliminated.

The Commission encourages law enforcement agencies to enact policies that are consistent with C.R.S. 16-5-206 and 16-5-207, relative to issuing summonses rather than arrest warrants on appropriate felony class 4, 5, and 6 crimes. Pursuant to C.R.S. 16-5-206 and 16-5-207, a summons should be issued for misdemeanors, and class 4, 5 and 6 felonies, unless law enforcement presents in writing a basis to believe there is a significant risk of flight or that the victim or public safety may be compromised.

Draft legislation to permit judicial districts to develop a percentage bond-to-the-court (see HB 08-1382), as is provided by the federal court system. Such percentage bond does not eliminate other types of bonds.*

When courts use the percentage bond-to-the-court, per Recommendation L-7, and the court plays the role of the surety, it shall retain a percentage of the bond.

Before any refund to the defendant at the conclusion of the case, the bond held by the court shall be applied according to the priority of payments per C.R.S. 18-1.3-204(2.5).*