DENVER – Today, Governor Polis issued an executive order to improve the criminal justice system and ensure Colorado continues to create effective, evidence-based criminal justice policy by establishing the Working Group on Transforming Criminal and Juvenile Justice (the Working Group). Following the sunset of the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (“CCJJ”) in September 2023, the state has the opportunity to establish a permanent entity or entities that will continue the state’s work to improve the future of Colorado’s justice system. The executive order directs the Working Group to study evidence-based best practices, conduct significant stakeholder outreach, and develop a recommendation on the formation of the future entity or entities by March 1, 2024.
“Making Colorado one of the top ten safest states will take working together. This executive order brings together experts to help provide a path for the important work ahead and ensure that criminal and juvenile justice-related policies work to make Colorado safer and improve outcomes across the system,” said Governor Polis. “This action includes a wide range of stakeholders and our administration looks forward to working with them and the legislature on data-driven ideas from across the spectrum on this important issue.”
In 2007, the CCJJ was created to begin reforming and improving Colorado’s criminal justice system and evaluative ways to make practices and laws more effective. The CCJJ was able to evaluate and reform complex pieces of the criminal justice system and work to develop strategies that would deliver better outcomes for Coloradans. The CCJJ worked on over 100 successful bills and 152 policy recommendations, including reforming our criminal misdemeanor statutes and reclassifying our criminal felony statutes.
The Working Group on Transforming Criminal and Juvenile Justice will consist of 17 members with different lived experiences and criminal justice backgrounds, including:
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A county human services representative;
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A victim advocate;
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A person who is a victim of crime;
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A person who is a former offender;
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A representative in the field of behavioral health or mental health, or a substance use disorder treatment provider;
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A representative of law enforcement;
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A person with criminal defense experience; and
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An academic specializing in matters related to criminal justice;
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Invitations to four legislators to participate, starting with the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees;
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The Attorney General, or their designee;
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The Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety, or their designee;
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The Executive Director of the Department of Corrections, or their designee;
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The Executive Director of the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, or their designee, who will serve as a co-chair of the Working Group; and
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The State Public Defender, or their designee, who will serve as a co-chair of the Working Group.
Together, the members will review the previous structure of the CCJJ, conduct significant stakeholder outreach, and provide their unique input to the final recommendation. Additionally, the Working Group, when considering juvenile justice, is encouraged to seek input from other relevant stakeholders including education, behavioral health, health care providers, people with experience in brain development and youth psychology, child welfare, and ways to reduce the school-to-prison pipeline.
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