Gov. Jared Polis signs bill to increase number of young people Colorado can hold in pre-trial detention

DENVER - Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill into law that will increase the number of young people Colorado can hold in pre-trial detention facilities.
Current law allows the state to detain up to 215 teens at any one time. House Bill 1146 increases that number to 254 in the next fiscal year.
In subsequent years, a formula will determine the maximum bed count, based on the average daily population. The bill also removes the most serious type of felony charges from counting toward the cap, and creates 39 emergency beds that wouldn't count toward the total bed cap.
The Colorado District Attorneys' Council spearheaded the bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, and Dan Woog, R-Frederick, and Sens. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, and Judy Amabile, D-Boulder.
The DA group originally wanted to bump the number of detained youth up to 324, a hike that received forceful pushback from juvenile justice advocates.
Prosecutors argued the state doesn't have enough beds to house violent youth offenders awaiting trial.
Since fiscal year 2021, detained youth admissions with violent charges have increased by 49%, and admissions for homicide or manslaughter have risen by 80%, state figures show. As a result, prosecutors say, authorities have been forced to release teens who might otherwise be deemed a danger to the public to free up spots for someone else.
Critics countered that the lack of safety in these facilities - highlighted by The Denver Post in March - proves the state should not be dramatically increasing the bed count.
The legislation also includes a body-worn camera pilot program for juvenile detention and commitment staff. The test program in one youth detention facility and one commitment facility requires every staff member who is responsible for the direct supervision of youth to wear a body camera while interacting with them.
The program will be implemented from January 2026 through December 2028. The Colorado Department of Human Services will then recommend whether to continue and expand the program, or eliminate it.
The body-camera addition comes after a Post investigation found widespread allegations of excessive force by staff in the state's 14 juvenile detention facilities. A year's worth of internal incident reports reviewed by The Post showed teens suffered broken bones, sustained concussions and overdosed on drugs in these secure centers.
Colorado's child protection ombudsman, tasked with investigating child safety concerns, has been calling since last year for the state to add body-worn cameras for staff in juvenile detention. Currently, facilities are equipped with video but no audio, making it impossible for investigators to determine whether verbal altercations contributed to excessive force or restraint incidents.
--------------
Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBS News

2 days ago

• CBS News

Gov. Jared Polis announces pardons for Coloradans convicted of psilocybin possession at psychedelics conference

This week Colorado's governor said he's pardoning some people who were convicted in the state for possessing certain psychedelics. Gov. Jared Polis made the announcement on Wednesday at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver. The conference is going on all week at the Colorado Convention Center. Gov. Jared Polis speaks at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference on Wednesday. CBS The pardons cover people convicted of possessing the drugs found in so-called "magic" mushrooms: psilocybin and psilocin. "This is a step forward for the individuals -- they'll now have this cleared from their records," he said. "But also truly acknowledge the error in public policy that led to their conviction creating a more just system to break down barriers." In his speech, Polis also showcased the progress Colorado has made in the eventual legal use of psychedelic mushrooms, and the future of the psychedelics industry. In 2022, Colorado residents voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms for people 21 and older in 2022. The measure also green lighted state-regulated "healing centers" where participants can experience the drug under supervision. The governor says he hopes Colorado can take on a leading role for the rest of the country when it comes to the legal framework, and research, around psychedelic mushrooms. "Colorado has been a national leader in breaking through outdated laws around cannabis, and now we are doing the same for natural medicine," Polis said in a prepared statement.

Axios

3 days ago

• Axios

6 numbers to know about Colorado's wobbly fiscal outlook

Colorado's economy is teetering as tariffs, potential federal budget cuts and the possibility of a recession buffet the state's fiscal picture. State of play: Two independent forecasts presented to lawmakers Wednesday are weighted to the downside and anticipate only minimal economic and job growth in the coming year. What they're saying:"The chaos and uncertainty caused by Washington [loom] large over today's economic forecast," legislative budget committee chair Jeff Bridges (D-Arapahoe County) said in a statement. Zoom in: Here are the key numbers setting the scene. $1 billion: The potential negative impact on the state budget if Congress approves the House version of the reconciliation bill, per the governor's budget office. 50%: The chance for a recession, according to the governor's office, up from previous estimates in March of 40%. Gov. Jared Polis blamed President Trump's tariffs for the economic uncertainty and the rising chances of a recession. 800: The decrease in the federal workforce in Colorado, a 1.4% drop in the first four months of the year, according to nonpartisan legislative economists. 4.8%: The current unemployment rate in Colorado. It exceeds the 4.2% national average. This is the first time in the last 25 years that the state's unemployment rate exceeded the national average for a sustained period, legislative analysts said. Zero: The chance for refund checks under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights in tax years 2025 and 2026, legislative economists report.

Yahoo

5 days ago

• Yahoo

Editorial: Stopping future Harvey Weinsteins — The NY Assembly must join the state Senate and pass the similar crimes bill

Harvey Weinstein is guilty, in a Manhattan state courtroom, of a 2006 sexual assault, again, just like he was found guilty in a Manhattan state courtroom five years ago of the same 2006 sexual assault. Weinstein's first conviction was thrown out and a new trial was needed because New York law does not allow the use of evidence from other, prior sexual offenses. That law needs to be changed and the state Senate passed a reform last year sponsored by chamber's No. 2 leader, Sen. Mike Gianaris, with a remarkable and overwhelming tally of 55-4. The Assembly and Speaker Carl Heastie need to match that before they break for the summer next Tuesday or another year will go by and prosecutors won't have all the tools they need to pursue horrible monsters like Weinstein. This is not a partisan matter; Gianaris is a Democrat, but every Republican senator voted for his measure, along with almost every Democrat. The numbers in the Assembly will be similar, provided Heastie brings forward the bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. Under the fix put forward by Gianaris and Paulin, New York would join the federal standard, which is also used by a good number of states, which permits admitting evidence of a defendant's prior sexual offenses in certain circumstances. What happened in the initial Weinstein prosecution in 2020 was the Manhattan district attorney asked the trial judge if it was permissible to use such testimony and the judge approved it, as did a unanimous appellate bench. Under New York law, that is occasionally allowed, on a case by case basis. But when it reached the state's highest court, it was narrowly overruled, tossing the whole Weinstein case and forcing this new trial. This time, the Manhattan DA didn't include any witnesses to testify about Weinstein's previous assaults and the jury still convicted him. But the law still must be reformed. As one expert points out, this verdict is yet further evidence that juries are capable of hearing evidence about multiple charges involving different victims without being overcome by prejudice, as they convicted Weinstein on one 2006 sex charge yesterday, but acquitted him of another from that same year. As to the third charge, from 2013, the jury will continue its deliberations today. The Gianaris/Paulin similar crimes bill, which 16 other states have, is fair to defendants and fair to victims. Such laws have been challenged in state and federal courts and determined to be constitutional. The sponsor's memo in the bill's justification mentions Harvey Weinstein and the reverse of his first conviction as the need for the legislation. That such an awful criminal is being invoked for something constructive to improve New York's criminal prosecution system is a tiny bit of justice. If the Assembly passes the bill and Gov. Hochul signs it, Weinstein can spend his coming many years in state prison thinking how he helped change the laws of New York in a positive way. But should Heastie not even allow a vote, Weinstein will still be heading to prison, but the law will remain badly out of date, denying future victims their chance for justice. Bring the bill to the floor, Mr. Speaker. _____