A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning measures to ensure that sufficient juvenile
Page 1, Line 102detention beds are available to address juvenile crime
Page 1, Line 103in proportion to annual juvenile detention projections,
Page 1, Line 104and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.
Page 1, Line 105
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, the bill requires the general assembly to appropriate $1,980,137 from the general fund to the department of human services (department) for youth who are detained and can be placed in environments other than detention. Under current law, the department is required to use $1,359,982 of its annual appropriation for temporary emergency detention beds for juveniles. The bill repeals this requirement.
Under current law, only 215 juvenile detention beds are allowed statewide. The bill:
- For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, increases this cap to 254 juvenile detention beds; and
- For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, and each state fiscal year thereafter, sets the cap at 125% of the juvenile detention average daily population projection (projection).
The cap excludes juveniles who are in detention for committing a delinquent act that would constitute a class 1 felony if it were committed by an adult. The bill requires the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety to include the projection in an existing report.
The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate $1,359,982, plus any additional amount necessary to fully fund the projection, to the department for juvenile detention beds.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 19-2.5-1405 as follows:
Page 2, Line 319-2.5-1405. Working group - allocation of beds. (1) The
Page 2, Line 4executive director of the department of human services and the state court
Page 2, Line 5administrator in the judicial department, or
a designee of such personsPage 2, Line 6their designees, in consultation with the division of criminal justice of
Page 2, Line 7the department of public safety, the office of state planning and
Page 2, Line 8budgeting, the Colorado district attorneys' council, and law enforcement representatives, shall form a working group that has the following duties:
Page 2, Line 9(a) To
annually allocatethe and reallocate, as necessary, aPage 2, Line 10number of juvenile detention beds to each catchment area in the state
Page 2, Line 11created pursuant to section 19-2.5-1513,
based on as limited by thePage 2, Line 12number of juvenile beds established pursuant to section 19-2.5-1514.
Page 3, Line 1
Once the allocation of juvenile detention beds is made to the catchmentPage 3, Line 2
areas, the The working groupshall may allocate or reallocateanyPage 3, Line 3portion of the detention beds
within the allocated to catchment areasPage 3, Line 4to the judicial districts within
each those catchmentarea areas. JudicialPage 3, Line 5districts shall not exceed the number of beds allocated to them except for circumstances provided for in subsection (1)(b) of this section.
Page 3, Line 6(b) To develop a mechanism for judicial districts to
Page 3, Line 7collaboratively use detention beds allocated to catchment
Page 3, Line 8areas but unallocated to judicial districts and a mechanism toloan detention beds to other judicial districts;
in cases of need andPage 3, Line 9(c) To develop emergency release guidelines that must be used by
Page 3, Line 10each judicial district to prevent placement of a juvenile in a juvenile
Page 3, Line 11detention facility in excess of the total number of juvenile detention
Page 3, Line 12beds
allocated to the judicial district; and established pursuant to section 19-2.5-1514.Page 3, Line 13(d)
To develop juvenile detention placement guidelines for eachPage 3, Line 14
judicial district to use in complying with the number of juvenile detention beds allocated to the judicial district.Page 3, Line 15SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 19-2.5-1515 as follows:
Page 3, Line 1619-2.5-1515. Judicial districts - plans for the cap. Each judicial
Page 3, Line 17district shall annually develop a plan to manage
the limit on the numberPage 3, Line 18of juvenile detention beds allocated or reallocated to the judicial
Page 3, Line 19district by the working group pursuant to section 19-2.5-1405 (1)(a). The
Page 3, Line 20judicial district shall consider the emergency release guidelines and
Page 3, Line 21placement guidelines developed pursuant to section 19-2.5-1405 in its
Page 3, Line 22annual plan to manage the
limit. The annual plan developed by thePage 4, Line 1
judicial district must ensure the judicial district does not exceed thePage 4, Line 2
number of juvenile detention beds allocated to it pursuant to section 19-2.5-1405 beds.Page 4, Line 3SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-2.5-1407.3, amend (4)(b) and (4)(c) as follows:
Page 4, Line 419-2.5-1407.3. Appropriation to the department of human
Page 4, Line 5services - allocation to judicial districts - provider incentives -
Page 4, Line 6appropriation. (4) (b)
Twenty-two temporary Thirty-nine emergencyPage 4, Line 7detention beds are available statewide.
A temporary An emergencyPage 4, Line 8detention bed does not count toward the limit of juvenile detention beds
Page 4, Line 9available pursuant to section 19-2.5-1514. The department shall
annuallyPage 4, Line 10allocate and reallocate, as necessary, the number of
temporaryPage 4, Line 11emergency detention beds to each catchment area in the state created
Page 4, Line 12pursuant to section 19-2.5-1513.
A temporary An available emergencyPage 4, Line 13detention bed within a judicial district's catchment area may be
Page 4, Line 14
made available to a judicial district pursuant to a court order issuedPage 4, Line 15
pursuant to, and subject to the restrictions set forth in, subsection (4)(c) of this section used by a judicial district in the catchment area if:Page 4, Line 16(I) The judicial district is presented with a juvenile who
Page 4, Line 17meets the criteria for detention pursuant to sections 19-2.5-303 and 19-2.5-304;
Page 4, Line 18(II) All available detention beds allocated to the judicial
Page 4, Line 19district by the working group pursuant to section 19-2.5-1405 are fully utilized;
Page 4, Line 20(III) No nonemergency detention beds within the judicial
Page 4, Line 21district's catchment area at the initial receiving juvenile
Page 4, Line 22detention facility are available;
Page 5, Line 1(IV) Each detention bed loaned by the judicial district to
Page 5, Line 2another judicial district, as described in section 19-2.5-1405
Page 5, Line 3(1)(b), has been reverted to the loaning judicial district, unless
Page 5, Line 4doing so would require a juvenile to be transported to another facility; and
Page 5, Line 5(V) Services that would mitigate the substantial risk of
Page 5, Line 6harm to others that are presented by the juvenile or the
Page 5, Line 7juvenile's risk of flight from prosecution are unavailable for a
Page 5, Line 8juvenile currently placed in detention in the judicial district as
Page 5, Line 9demonstrated in the report pursuant to subsection (4)(c)(IV) of this section.
Page 5, Line 10(c) (I)
The district attorney of a judicial district or a countyPage 5, Line 11
department of human or social services may petition the court no laterPage 5, Line 12
than the next business day after the juvenile is detained to exceed thePage 5, Line 13
number of juvenile detention beds allocated to a judicial district pursuantPage 5, Line 14
to section 19-2.5-1405 for the period of time before the detention hearingPage 5, Line 15
for the juvenile who would utilize the requested temporary emergency detention bed, if:Page 5, Line 16
(A) When all statutorily available detention beds allocated to thePage 5, Line 17
judicial district and any judicial district sharing the same facility are fullyPage 5, Line 18
utilized, the judicial district is presented with a juvenile who is chargedPage 5, Line 19
with committing a delinquent act who screens into detention based on the current detention screening instrument;Page 5, Line 20
(B) Each bed loaned by the judicial district to another judicialPage 5, Line 21
district, as described in section 19-2.5-1405 (1)(b), has been relinquished to the loaning judicial district;Page 5, Line 22
(C) No detention beds are available within the judicial district's catchment area; andPage 6, Line 1
(D) There are no available juvenile detention beds in any facilityPage 6, Line 2
within fifty miles of the initial receiving juvenile detention facility. ThisPage 6, Line 3
subsection (4)(c)(I)(D) does not apply to a petition for a temporaryPage 6, Line 4
emergency detention bed if: The point of arrest of the juvenile was fiftyPage 6, Line 5
miles or more from the initial receiving juvenile detention facility; or ifPage 6, Line 6
the petition is for a juvenile to utilize a bed at the juvenile's initialPage 6, Line 7
receiving facility when the juvenile is returned to the initial receivingPage 6, Line 8
facility because the juvenile was utilizing a bed borrowed from anotherPage 6, Line 9
judicial district and the borrowed bed is no longer available for use by the juvenile.Page 6, Line 10(II)
Upon receipt of a petition to exceed the number of juvenilePage 6, Line 11
detention beds allocated to a judicial district filed pursuant to thisPage 6, Line 12
subsection (4)(c), a court shall issue an order permitting a judicial districtPage 6, Line 13
to exceed the number of juvenile detention beds allocated to thePage 6, Line 14
catchment area up to the number of temporary emergency detention bedsPage 6, Line 15
allocated to the catchment area by the department if the court specifically finds that the following circumstances exist:Page 6, Line 16
(A) No detention beds are available in the catchment area;Page 6, Line 17
(B) There is a legal basis for detaining each juvenile who isPage 6, Line 18
detained in the judicial district, which may include for each juvenilePage 6, Line 19
screened that the detention screening instrument does not support releasePage 6, Line 20
because the juvenile presents a substantial risk of serious harm to others or is a flight risk from prosecution;Page 6, Line 21
(C) Services are not available for any juvenile currently placed inPage 6, Line 22
detention in the judicial district that would mitigate the substantial risk ofPage 6, Line 23
serious harm to others presented by the juvenile or the juvenile's risk of flight from prosecution; andPage 7, Line 1
(D) Other forms of community-based supervision for thePage 7, Line 2
incoming juvenile are not sufficient to mitigate the substantial risk ofPage 7, Line 3
serious harm to others presented by the juvenile or the juvenile's risk of flight from prosecution.Page 7, Line 4(III) If a detention bed within the judicial district's allocation
thatPage 7, Line 5
is under the statewide detention bed cap becomes available, the juvenilePage 7, Line 6utilizing
a temporary an emergency detention bed shall revert to thePage 7, Line 7nonemergency detention bed and the requirements in this subsection (4)
Page 7, Line 8no longer apply. If a detention bed becomes available within the judicial
Page 7, Line 9district's allocation or catchment area but at a different facility, the
Page 7, Line 10juvenile may, at the discretion of the judicial district, remain in the
Page 7, Line 11
temporary emergency detention bed in lieu of transferring to the nonemergency detention bed in a different facility.Page 7, Line 12(IV)
On the fifth business day following the issuance or renewalPage 7, Line 13
of each court order issued pursuant to this subsection (4)(c), if thePage 7, Line 14
circumstances described in subsection (4)(c)(I) of this section exist andPage 7, Line 15
the juvenile remains detained in the temporary emergency detention bed,Page 7, Line 16
the person who filed the initial petition pursuant to subsection (4)(c)(I) ofPage 7, Line 17
this section, or the person's designee, shall inform the court that thePage 7, Line 18
circumstances still exist and the juvenile remains detained in thePage 7, Line 19
temporary emergency detention bed. At the time of informing the court,Page 7, Line 20
the person shall also provide the court with updated information about thePage 7, Line 21
circumstances the court is required to find pursuant to subsectionPage 7, Line 22
(4)(c)(II) of this section. Upon notification from the person, the courtPage 7, Line 23
shall hold a hearing to determine whether to renew the order. The courtPage 7, Line 24
may renew its order for an additional five days if it makes the findingsPage 8, Line 1
required in subsection (4)(c)(II) of this section for issuance of a courtPage 8, Line 2
order. Beginning August 15, 2025, the department shall report onPage 8, Line 3a monthly basis an aggregated report of the status of all youth
Page 8, Line 4who are in detention and who are awaiting services that would
Page 8, Line 5mitigate the substantial risk of harm to others that are
Page 8, Line 6presented by the juvenile or the juvenile's risk of flight from
Page 8, Line 7prosecution and the number of emergency beds used by each judicial district or facility.
Page 8, Line 8SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 19-2.5-1407.5 as follows:
Page 8, Line 919-2.5-1407.5. Juvenile placement survey and cost report -
Page 8, Line 10repeal. (1) On or before July 1, 2027, the division of youth
Page 8, Line 11services shall publish a report concerning available placements
Page 8, Line 12for juveniles who are awaiting mitigating services in the state. The report must include, at a minimum:
Page 8, Line 13(a) The number of available placements for juveniles who
Page 8, Line 14are awaiting mitigating services, reported for the state as a whole and for each catchment area;
Page 8, Line 15(b) The number of each type of available placement for
Page 8, Line 16juveniles who are awaiting mitigating services, reported for the state as a whole and for each catchment area;
Page 8, Line 17(c) Findings concerning challenges experienced in placing
Page 8, Line 18juveniles in each type of placement for juveniles who are
Page 8, Line 19awaiting mitigating services, including information concerning costs associated with each type of available placement; and
Page 8, Line 20(d) Findings and recommendations for legislation or
Page 8, Line 21policy solutions to alleviate challenges identified pursuant to completing the report.
Page 9, Line 1(2) The division of youth services shall work with
Page 9, Line 2providers statewide to identify barriers to placing juveniles in
Page 9, Line 3mitigating services and make recommendations to mitigate the barriers. Directives include examining, at a minimum:
Page 9, Line 4(a) Staffing required to coordinate potential placements; and
Page 9, Line 5(b) Identifying placement options and negotiation of daily rates.
Page 9, Line 6(3) On or before July 1, 2027, the division of youth services
Page 9, Line 7shall provide its report to the house of representatives health
Page 9, Line 8and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees.
Page 9, Line 9(4) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2028.
Page 9, Line 10SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 19-2.5-1408.5 as follows:
Page 9, Line 1119-2.5-1408.5. Body-worn cameras - pilot program - report.
Page 9, Line 12(1) The division of youth services shall establish a pilot
Page 9, Line 13program in one detention facility and one commitment facility
Page 9, Line 14requiring each division of youth services staff member who is
Page 9, Line 15responsible for direct supervision of youth to wear a body-worn
Page 9, Line 16camera while in the facility while interacting with youth. After
Page 9, Line 17the pilot program is established, the division of youth services
Page 9, Line 18shall establish policies and procedures concerning body-worn
Page 9, Line 19cameras, which are subject to review by the division of youth
Page 9, Line 20services' policy review committee. The policies and procedures
Page 9, Line 21must address, at a minimum:
(a) When body-worn cameras must be activated;
Page 10, Line 1(b) The retention of body-worn camera footage; and
Page 10, Line 2(c) Access to body-worn camera footage, which must
Page 10, Line 3ensure appropriate protections of youth privacy, including
Page 10, Line 4compliance with laws and regulations and addresses access by
Page 10, Line 5the office of the child protection ombudsman, youth, and youth's counsel who have alleged abuse.
Page 10, Line 6(2) In January of 2028, the department of human services
Page 10, Line 7shall make a recommendation regarding whether to continue
Page 10, Line 8and expand or eliminate the pilot program to the house of
Page 10, Line 9representatives health and human services committee and the
Page 10, Line 10senate health and human services committee, or their successor
Page 10, Line 11committees, as part of the "SMART Act" presentation required pursuant to part 2 of article 7 of title 2.
Page 10, Line 12SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-2.5-703.5, amend (1) introductory portion as follows:
Page 10, Line 1319-2.5-703.5. Waiver of privilege - exchange of information -
Page 10, Line 14admissibility of statements. (1) When the court determines that a
Page 10, Line 15juvenile is incompetent to proceed, any claim of confidentiality or
Page 10, Line 16privilege by the juvenile or the juvenile's parent or legal guardian is
Page 10, Line 17deemed waived within the case to allow the court and parties to determine
Page 10, Line 18issues related to the juvenile's competency, restoration, and any
Page 10, Line 19management plan developed by the court pursuant to section 19-2.5-704
Page 10, Line 20(3). The district attorney, defense attorney, guardian ad litem, the
Page 10, Line 21department, any competency evaluators, any restoration treatment
Page 10, Line 22providers, bridges court liaisons, and the court are granted access,
Page 10, Line 23without written consent of the juvenile or further order of the court, to:
Page 11, Line 1SECTION 7. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-2.5-704, amend
Page 11, Line 2(2.5)(a) introductory portion, (2.5)(a)(I), (2.5)(a)(II), (3)(a), and (3)(b); and add (2.3), (3)(b.5), and (3)(d) as follows:
Page 11, Line 319-2.5-704. Procedure after determination of competency or
Page 11, Line 4incompetency. (2.3) If the court makes a final determination
Page 11, Line 5pursuant to section 19-2.5-703 that the juvenile is incompetent
Page 11, Line 6to proceed and the juvenile's highest charged act constitutes a
Page 11, Line 7class 2 misdemeanor, a petty offense, a drug misdemeanor, or a
Page 11, Line 8traffic offense, the court shall immediately dismiss the
Page 11, Line 9delinquency petition or charges, as applicable, against the juvenile.
Page 11, Line 10(2.5) (a) If the court finds a juvenile is incompetent to proceed,
Page 11, Line 11the juvenile's highest charged act is not included in the charges
Page 11, Line 12specified in subsection (2.3) of this section, and the juvenile has been
Page 11, Line 13incompetent to proceed for a period of time that exceeds the time limits
Page 11, Line 14set forth in this subsection (2.5), the court shall enter a finding that the
Page 11, Line 15juvenile is unrestorable to competency and shall determine whether a
Page 11, Line 16management plan for the juvenile is necessary pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section. The time limits are as follows:
Page 11, Line 17(I) If the highest charged act constitutes a class 1 misdemeanor
Page 11, Line 18
a misdemeanor drug offense, a petty offense, or a traffic offense, or aPage 11, Line 19level 4 drug felony and the juvenile is not restored to competency after
Page 11, Line 20a period of six months, the court shall find the juvenile unrestorable to competency;
Page 11, Line 21(II) If the highest charged act constitutes a class 4, 5, or 6 felony,
Page 11, Line 22or a level 3
or 4 drug felony, and the juvenile is not restored toPage 11, Line 23competency after a period of one year, the court shall find the juvenile unrestorable to competency;
Page 12, Line 1(3) (a) If the court finally determines pursuant to section
Page 12, Line 219-2.5-703 or 19-2.5-703.5 that the juvenile is incompetent to proceed
Page 12, Line 3and cannot be restored to competency in the reasonably foreseeable
Page 12, Line 4future, the court shall enter an order finding the juvenile unrestorable to
Page 12, Line 5competency and shall determine whether a case management plan for the
Page 12, Line 6juvenile is necessary, taking into account the public safety and the best
Page 12, Line 7interests of the juvenile. If the court determines a case management
Page 12, Line 8plan is unnecessary, the court may continue any treatment or
Page 12, Line 9plan already in place for the juvenile. If the court determines a
Page 12, Line 10case management plan is necessary, the court
shall must develop thePage 12, Line 11case management plan after ordering that the juvenile be placed or
Page 12, Line 12continue placement in the least-restrictive environment, taking into
Page 12, Line 13account the public safety and best interests of the juvenile.
If the courtPage 12, Line 14
determines a management plan is unnecessary, the court may continuePage 12, Line 15
any treatment or plan already in place for the juvenile. In order toPage 12, Line 16develop an appropriate case management plan, the court may
Page 12, Line 17order any member of the juvenile's professional team to consult
Page 12, Line 18with the juvenile, the juvenile's parent or legal guardian, or
Page 12, Line 19other individuals, including the juvenile's defense attorney,
Page 12, Line 20guardian ad litem, or treatment provider, to develop a proposed
Page 12, Line 21management plan to present to the court for consideration. The
Page 12, Line 22court shall notify any individual, organization, or agency that
Page 12, Line 23is identified as responsible for the juvenile or responsible for
Page 12, Line 24implementation of the management plan. The management plan
Page 12, Line 25must, at a minimum, address treatment for the juvenile, identify the party
Page 12, Line 26or parties responsible for the juvenile, and specify appropriate behavior
Page 13, Line 1management tools if
they the tools are not otherwise part of the juvenile's treatment.Page 13, Line 2(b) The management plan may include:
(I) Placement options included in article 10.5 or 65 of title 27;
Page 13, Line 3(II) A treatment plan developed by a licensed mental health professional;
Page 13, Line 4(III) An informed supervision model, upon the court finding
Page 13, Line 5on the record supported by information that the underlying
Page 13, Line 6charge is rationally related to the need for the use of an informed supervision model;
Page 13, Line 7(IV) Institution of a guardianship petition; or
Page 13, Line 8(V) Any other remedy
deemed appropriate by the court deems rationally related to mitigating community safety concerns.Page 13, Line 9(b.5) Notwithstanding subsection (3)(b) of this section, the management plan must not include:
Page 13, Line 10(I) Detention of the juvenile or commitment of the
Page 13, Line 11juvenile to the division of youth services, a county jail,
Page 13, Line 12community corrections, or the Colorado mental health institute at Pueblo; or
Page 13, Line 13(II) Work release.
Page 13, Line 14(d) Any entity responsible for connecting the juvenile to
Page 13, Line 15services, service coordination, or case management may report
Page 13, Line 16to the court on the juvenile's or the juvenile's parent's or legal
Page 13, Line 17guardian's engagement in the services ordered in the
Page 13, Line 18management plan. If the juvenile or the juvenile's parent or
Page 13, Line 19legal guardian does not engage in the services ordered in the
Page 13, Line 20management plan, the court may alter the management plan or
Page 14, Line 1take other action as necessary and permitted by law, including,
Page 14, Line 2but not limited to, referral to a local collaborative
Page 14, Line 3management program, to the extent that a local collaborative
Page 14, Line 4management program exists and provides case management
Page 14, Line 5services; ordering a department of human services investigation
Page 14, Line 6pursuant to section 19-3-501 (1); or filing a dependency and
Page 14, Line 7neglect petition pursuant to section 19-3-501 (2)(b) if there is
Page 14, Line 8current information that the juvenile has suffered abuse as
Page 14, Line 9defined in section 19-1-103 and the best interests of the juvenile
Page 14, Line 10require that the juvenile is protected from risk of further abuse.
Page 14, Line 11SECTION 8. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 28 to article 33.5 of title 24 as follows:
Page 14, Line 12PART 28
DEFLECTION AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Page 14, Line 13GRANT PROGRAM
Page 14, Line 1424-33.5-2801. Short title.The short title of this part 28 is
Page 14, Line 15the "Deflection and Community Investment Grant Program Act".
Page 14, Line 1624-33.5-2802. Definitions.As used in this part 28, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 14, Line 17(1) "Area of high need" means:
Page 14, Line 18(a) A city or zip code with rates of youth arrest or
Page 14, Line 19citation that are higher than the surrounding county average, based on available data; or
Page 14, Line 20(b) A city or zip code in a rural or urban community where
Page 14, Line 21there is a disparity between the racial or ethnic composition of
Page 15, Line 1the arrested or cited youth population and the racial or ethnic composition of the surrounding county population.
Page 15, Line 2(2) "Deflection" means an extrajudicial response to a
Page 15, Line 3youth's conduct that is designed to prevent the youth's formal involvement or further involvement in the justice system.
Page 15, Line 4(3) "Deflection program" means a program that promotes
Page 15, Line 5positive youth development by relying on deflection and aims to
Page 15, Line 6divert youth from justice system involvement at the earliest possible point.
Page 15, Line 7(4) "Eligible applicant" means an eligible tribal
Page 15, Line 8government, tribal organization, or nonprofit community-based
Page 15, Line 9organization that meets the requirements of section 24-33.5-2805.
Page 15, Line 10(5) "Grant program" means the deflection and community investment grant program created in section 24-33.5-2803.
Page 15, Line 11(6) "Grant recipient" means an eligible applicant that the office selects to receive money through the grant program.
Page 15, Line 12(7) "Mixed-delivery system" means a system of adolescent
Page 15, Line 13development and education support services delivered through
Page 15, Line 14a combination of programs, providers, and settings that include
Page 15, Line 15partnerships between community-based nonprofit organizations
Page 15, Line 16and public agencies and that is supported with a combination of public and private funds.
Page 15, Line 17(8) "Nonprofit organization" means a tax-exempt
Page 15, Line 18charitable or social welfare organization operating pursuant
Page 15, Line 19to 26 U.S.C. sec. 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the federal "Internal
Page 15, Line 20Revenue Code of 1986".
Page 16, Line 1(9) "Office" means the office within the division of criminal justice that focuses on adult and juvenile justice assistance.
Page 16, Line 2(10) "Referring agency" means an organization, agency,
Page 16, Line 3or department that refers youth to deflection programs,
Page 16, Line 4including, but not limited to, an education, law enforcement, behavioral health, or public health entity.
Page 16, Line 5(11) "Trauma-informed" means an approach that involves
Page 16, Line 6an understanding of adverse childhood experiences and that
Page 16, Line 7responds to symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan of an individual.
Page 16, Line 8(12) "Youth" means a child, as defined in section 19-2.5-102, who is subject to:
Page 16, Line 9(a) A juvenile court's jurisdiction pursuant to section 19-2.5-103;
Page 16, Line 10(b) A county court's concurrent jurisdiction pursuant to section 19-2.5-103;
Page 16, Line 11(c) A county court's jurisdiction for a traffic offense; or
(d) A municipal court's jurisdiction.
Page 16, Line 1224-33.5-2803. Deflection and community investment grant
Page 16, Line 13program - created - policies. (1) The deflection and community
Page 16, Line 14investment grant program is created in the office within the
Page 16, Line 15division of criminal justice. The purpose of the three-year
Page 16, Line 16competitive grant program is to provide grants to eligible
Page 16, Line 17applicants to implement a mixed-delivery system of
Page 16, Line 18trauma-informed health and development deflection programs for youth, including Native American youth.
Page 16, Line 19(2) The office shall administer the grant program and,
Page 17, Line 1subject to available appropriations, shall award grants as provided in this part 28.
Page 17, Line 2(3) Subject to public comment from directly impacted
Page 17, Line 3stakeholders, the department may adopt policies for the administration of the grant program.
Page 17, Line 424-33.5-2804. Office duties. (1) The office has the following duties:
Page 17, Line 5(a) Develop a competitive application process, including
Page 17, Line 6deadlines, for an eligible applicant to apply for a grant
Page 17, Line 7consistent with the requirements of section 24-33.5-2805. Initial grant awards must be distributed no later than June 30, 2026.
Page 17, Line 8(b) Contract with a technical assistance provider
Page 17, Line 9pursuant to section 24-33.5-2806 and a research and evaluation partner pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807; and
Page 17, Line 10(c) Support grantee data collection and analysis and
Page 17, Line 11require grantees to demonstrate outcomes of the deflection programs that received a grant award.
Page 17, Line 1224-33.5-2805. Application - eligibility - awards. (1) To receive
Page 17, Line 13a grant, an applicant must submit an application to the office in
Page 17, Line 14accordance with any policies adopted by the executive director
Page 17, Line 15of the department. At a minimum, the application must include the following information:
Page 17, Line 16(a) The types of deflection services that will be provided;
Page 17, Line 17(b) Verification that the applicant is serving an area of high need; and
Page 17, Line 18(c) An official letter from at least one referring agency
Page 17, Line 19demonstrating the agency's intent to refer youth to the
Page 18, Line 1deflection program to provide the youth with trauma-informed
Page 18, Line 2health and development services in lieu of warning, citation, or
Page 18, Line 3arrest. For regional applications described in subsection (2)(c)
Page 18, Line 4of this section, letters of intent are required for each jurisdiction proposed in the application.
Page 18, Line 5(2) (a) To be eligible to receive a grant, an applicant must be:
Page 18, Line 6(I) A nonprofit organization;
Page 18, Line 7(II) A federally recognized Indian tribe, as defined in 25 U.S.C. sec. 1603 (14);
Page 18, Line 8(III) A tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. sec. 1603 (26);
Page 18, Line 9(IV) An urban Indian organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. sec. 1603 (29); or
Page 18, Line 10(V) A private entity whose board of directors is majority
Page 18, Line 11controlled by Native Americans and that is fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization.
Page 18, Line 12(b) To be eligible to receive a grant, an applicant must be
Page 18, Line 13a nongovernmental entity, with the exception of a tribal
Page 18, Line 14government applicant, and must not be a law enforcement or probation entity.
Page 18, Line 15(c) Applicants from two or more local jurisdictions may
Page 18, Line 16jointly apply for a grant award to deliver deflection program
Page 18, Line 17services on a regional basis and may receive a joint grant award
Page 18, Line 18that is the aggregate of the amount each individual eligible
Page 18, Line 19applicant would have received had each individual eligible
Page 18, Line 20applicant applied independently.
Page 19, Line 1(3) The office shall review the applications received
Page 19, Line 2pursuant to this section. In awarding grants, the office shall
Page 19, Line 3give priority to eligible applicants in communities, including rural communities, that:
Page 19, Line 4(a) Deflect youth at the earliest possible point of justice system involvement;
Page 19, Line 5(b) Serve otherwise under-resourced communities;
Page 19, Line 6(c) Employ individuals who have lived experience as a youth in the justice system; or
Page 19, Line 7(d) Demonstrate experience effectively serving youth
Page 19, Line 8populations who are justice-system-involved or at risk of system involvement.
Page 19, Line 9(4) (a) Subject to available appropriations, on or before
Page 19, Line 10June 30 each year of the grant program, the office shall
Page 19, Line 11distribute grants as provided in this section. The office shall
Page 19, Line 12award at least two hundred thousand dollars but not more
Page 19, Line 13than one million dollars to an individual grantee over the course of the three-year grant program.
Page 19, Line 14(b) (I) Subject to available appropriations, the office
Page 19, Line 15shall distribute grant awards in three equal annual installments, as follows:
Page 19, Line 16(A) The first installment must be distributed on the first day of the grant contract;
Page 19, Line 17(B) The second installment must be distributed no later than the first day of the second year of the grant contract; and
Page 19, Line 18(C) The third installment must be distributed no later
Page 19, Line 19than the first day of the third year of the grant contract.
Page 20, Line 1(II) Distribution of the second and third installments is
Page 20, Line 2contingent on the grantee fulfilling the grant obligations and reporting requirements pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807.
Page 20, Line 3(5) (a) A grantee shall use a grant award to deliver
Page 20, Line 4deflection program services in areas of high need. A grantee
Page 20, Line 5shall provide deflection services that are evidence-based,
Page 20, Line 6research-supported, or grounded in practice-based evidence;
Page 20, Line 7trauma-informed; culturally relevant; gender-responsive; and developmentally appropriate.
Page 20, Line 8(b) A grantee shall deliver one or more of the following deflection program services:
Page 20, Line 9(I) Educational services, including remedial and college preparatory academic services;
Page 20, Line 10(II) Career development services, including employment
Page 20, Line 11preparation, vocational training, internships, and apprenticeships;
Page 20, Line 12(III) Restorative justice services, including culturally rooted programming;
Page 20, Line 13(IV) Mentoring services, including services that rely on
Page 20, Line 14credible messengers whose lived experience is similar to the experience of the youth being served;
Page 20, Line 15(V) Mental health services, including culturally rooted healing practices;
Page 20, Line 16(VI) Behavioral health services, including substance use education and treatment;
Page 20, Line 17(VII) Housing services, including permanent, short-term,
Page 20, Line 18and emergency housing services;
Page 21, Line 1(VIII) Personal development and leadership training services; or
Page 21, Line 2(IX) Prosocial activities, including cultural enrichment programs and services.
Page 21, Line 324-33.5-2806. Technical assistance provider. (1) The office
Page 21, Line 4shall contract with a technical assistance provider to support
Page 21, Line 5implementation of the grant program and to build grantee
Page 21, Line 6capacity to deliver deflection program services. Prior to
Page 21, Line 7developing and disseminating grant program application
Page 21, Line 8materials, the office shall solicit and receive input from the
Page 21, Line 9contracted technical assistance provider in developing the
Page 21, Line 10grant program application materials. In selecting a technical
Page 21, Line 11assistance provider, the office shall prioritize organizations
Page 21, Line 12that employ people who have lived experience as a youth in the justice system.
Page 21, Line 13(2) The technical assistance provider shall demonstrate experience in all the following areas:
Page 21, Line 14(a) Developmental research and identifying best practices
Page 21, Line 15for serving youth involved in, and youth at risk of involvement
Page 21, Line 16in, the justice system, including children who have experienced
Page 21, Line 17commercial sexual exploitation and youth in the dependency system;
Page 21, Line 18(b) Research on systems that refer youth to the justice
Page 21, Line 19system, including the education, immigration, and child welfare systems, and research on best practices for referrals;
Page 21, Line 20(c) Presenting and disseminating best practices on
Page 21, Line 21alternatives to incarceration and justice system involvement;
Page 22, Line 1(d) Working with and supporting community-based
Page 22, Line 2organizations serving youth involved in, and youth at risk of involvement in, the justice system in Colorado;
Page 22, Line 3(e) Collaborating with justice system stakeholders;
Page 22, Line 4(f) Working with and supporting Native American organizations and communities; and
Page 22, Line 5(g) Working with justice-system-involved youth and communities and elevating youth leadership.
Page 22, Line 6(3) The technical assistance provider shall:
Page 22, Line 7(a) Provide input to the office regarding the development of the grant program's grant application materials;
Page 22, Line 8(b) Support grantees in establishing and maintaining
Page 22, Line 9relationships with justice system and community stakeholders,
Page 22, Line 10including public agencies, tribal governments and communities,
Page 22, Line 11nonprofit organizations, and youth and families most impacted by the justice system;
Page 22, Line 12(c) Provide grantees with training and support in
Page 22, Line 13implementing best practices and trauma-informed, culturally
Page 22, Line 14relevant, gender-responsive, and developmentally appropriate approaches to serving youth;
Page 22, Line 15(d) Create peer learning opportunities for grantees to learn from and alongside one another;
Page 22, Line 16(e) In collaboration with the research and evaluation
Page 22, Line 17partner selected pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807, provide
Page 22, Line 18grantees with administrative and technical support to support
Page 22, Line 19compliance with applicable data reporting and program
Page 22, Line 20evaluation requirements, and with applicable laws, including laws around confidentiality and deflection eligibility; and
Page 23, Line 1(f) Provide the research and evaluation partner selected
Page 23, Line 2pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807 with input regarding the
Page 23, Line 3development of deflection program evaluation processes and metrics.
Page 23, Line 424-33.5-2807. Evaluation - reporting requirements. (1) The
Page 23, Line 5office shall contract with a research and evaluation partner
Page 23, Line 6to conduct a statewide evaluation of the grant program and
Page 23, Line 7associated youth outcomes over the three-year grant period.
Page 23, Line 8The office shall solicit and receive input from the contracted
Page 23, Line 9research and evaluation partner in developing the grant
Page 23, Line 10program application materials. The research and evaluation
Page 23, Line 11partner must have a demonstrated commitment to working with communities impacted by the justice system.
Page 23, Line 12(2) The research and evaluation partner shall:
Page 23, Line 13(a) Develop a common assessment instrument for use by
Page 23, Line 14grantees to assess the outcomes and impact of services provided to youth;
Page 23, Line 15(b) Design a central data repository to standardize grantee data collection and reporting; and
Page 23, Line 16(c) Support grantees with using the common assessment instrument and the central data repository.
Page 23, Line 17(3) The office shall provide the research and evaluation
Page 23, Line 18partner with relevant, existing data for the purposes of
Page 23, Line 19measuring outcomes. Measured outcomes may include, but are not limited to:
Page 23, Line 20(a) Reductions in law enforcement responses to youth
Page 24, Line 1conduct involving low-level offenses, court caseloads and
Page 24, Line 2processing costs, days youth spent in detention, placement of
Page 24, Line 3youth in congregate care, and school and placement disruptions;
Page 24, Line 4(b) Reductions in the number of school suspensions and expulsions;
Page 24, Line 5(c) Improvements in youth health and well-being, housing
Page 24, Line 6and community stability, educational attainment, prosocial
Page 24, Line 7activity, and connections to employment opportunities and mentorship; and
Page 24, Line 8(d) Projected state and local cost savings as a result of the deflection programming.
Page 24, Line 9(4) The office shall make available on its website a report
Page 24, Line 10of grantees, projects, and outcomes at the state and local
Page 24, Line 11levels within one hundred eighty days of completion of the grant program.
Page 24, Line 12(5) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), on or
Page 24, Line 13before December 31, 2026, and each December 31 thereafter for
Page 24, Line 14the duration of the grant program, the office shall submit a
Page 24, Line 15report to the house of representatives judiciary committee and
Page 24, Line 16the senate judiciary committee, or their successor committees,
Page 24, Line 17about the grant program. At a minimum, the report must include
Page 24, Line 18the number and amount of grants awarded since the last report
Page 24, Line 19and a summary of information concerning the impact of the
Page 24, Line 20mixed delivery system of deflection programs for youth, including Native American youth.
Page 24, Line 2124-33.5-2808. No disclosure of participant records.Records
Page 25, Line 1related to the participation of a youth or a youth's family in the
Page 25, Line 2deflection program pursuant to this part 28 are not subject to disclosure to a prosecuting attorney.
Page 25, Line 324-33.5-2809. Funding for grant program. (1) The general
Page 25, Line 4assembly shall annually appropriate the necessary funds to the department for use by the office for the purposes of this part 28.
Page 25, Line 5(2) The office may use up to twenty-three and one-half percent of the money annually appropriated, as follows:
Page 25, Line 6(a) Up to three percent of the money annually
Page 25, Line 7appropriated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section to pay for
Page 25, Line 8the direct and indirect costs that the office incurs to administer the grant program;
Page 25, Line 9(b) Up to three percent of the money annually
Page 25, Line 10appropriated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section to
Page 25, Line 11contract with a research and evaluation partner and the office's own grant program evaluation-related costs;
Page 25, Line 12(c) Up to seven and one-half percent of the money
Page 25, Line 13annually appropriated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section
Page 25, Line 14to contract with a technical assistance provider and the
Page 25, Line 15office's own technical assistance-related costs in connection with the grant program; and
Page 25, Line 16(d) Up to ten percent of the money annually appropriated
Page 25, Line 17pursuant to subsection (1) of this section for grant awards to deflection programs targeting Native American youth.
Page 25, Line 18(3) The office may use the remaining money annually
Page 25, Line 19appropriated for the grant program for grant awards to youth
Page 25, Line 20deflection programs.
Page 26, Line 1 (4) The office may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants,
Page 26, Line 2or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this part 28.
Page 26, Line 324-33.5-2810. Repeal of part.This part 28 is repealed, effective January 1, 2031.
Page 26, Line 4SECTION 9. Appropriation. (1) For the 2025-26 state fiscal
Page 26, Line 5year, $6,854,420 is appropriated to the department of human services.
Page 26, Line 6This appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the department may use this appropriation as follows:
Page 26, Line 7(a) $696,762 for use by the executive director's office for health, life, and dental;
Page 26, Line 8(b) $2,607 for use by the executive director's office for short-term disability;
Page 26, Line 9(c) $16,760 for use by the executive director's office for paid family medical leave insurance;
Page 26, Line 10(d) $372,430 for use by the executive director's office for unfunded liability amortization equalization disbursement payments;
Page 26, Line 11(e) $4,136,731 for use by the division of youth services for
Page 26, Line 12program administration related to institutional programs, which amount
Page 26, Line 13is based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 41.0 FTE; and
Page 26, Line 14(f) $1,629,130 for use by the division of youth services for
Page 26, Line 15medical services, which amount is based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 15.1 FTE.
Page 26, Line 16(2) For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $122,279 is appropriated to
Page 26, Line 17the department of human services for use by the division of youth
Page 26, Line 18services. This appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from
Page 27, Line 1the department of education and is subject to the "(I)" notation as defined
Page 27, Line 2in the annual general appropriation act for the same fiscal year. To
Page 27, Line 3implement this act, the division may use this appropriation for program administration related to institutional programs.
Page 27, Line 4(3) For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $3,145,580 is appropriated
Page 27, Line 5to the department of public safety for use by the division of criminal
Page 27, Line 6justice. This appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the division may use this appropriation as follows:
Page 27, Line 7(a) $87,264 for DCJ administrative services, which amount is
Page 27, Line 8based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 1.0 FTE;
Page 27, Line 9(b) $2,708,316 for the deflection and community investment grant program related to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention; and
Page 27, Line 10(c) $350,000 for the deflection and community investment grant
Page 27, Line 11program assistance and evaluation related to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention.
Page 27, Line 12SECTION 10. Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Page 27, Line 13SECTION 11. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 27, Line 14determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 27, Line 15preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 27, Line 16the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.