Sunsetted Reports
Colorado Department of Corrections Sunsetted Reports
Sunsetted reports are reports the Colorado Department of Corrections provided to the legislature in the past but whose reporting requirements have expired.
For each bill on this page, you will find a bill summary and copies of the reports we provided to the state legislature. This page should be treated as archival as these reports are no longer actively updated.
SB 15-124 Responses to Technical Parole Violations (SUNSETTED)
The full text of SB15-124 may be found on the Legiscan website.
Bill Summary: This act (now part of newer laws) moved Colorado away from sending people back to prison for "technical" violations, such as a single missed curfew or a failed drug test. Instead, it used "swift and sure" short-term jail stays (1–5 days) or more treatment to fix the behavior.
Why this matters to the community:
- Preventing Job Loss: If someone is sent back to prison for months because of a minor mistake, they lose their job and home. This increases their likelihood of committing a crime. Short-term fixes help them keep their life on track.
- Treating the Problem: Most technical mistakes are caused by addiction. Using treatment instead of additional prison time addresses the underlying issue and saves taxpayers millions in incarceration costs.
Copies of the reports the department provides for this legislation may be accessed by clicking below.
- SB 15-124 Responses to Technical Parole Violations Reports (SUNSETTED as of FY18)
Responses to Technical Parole Violations FY18
Responses to Technical Parole Violations FY17
HB 14-1355 Re-Entry Initiatives (SUNSETTED)
The full text of SB15-124 may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.
Bill Summary: This law established a framework to support individuals transitioning from prison to the community. It established the WAGEES program, which provides grants to local community groups to help formerly incarcerated individuals secure housing, clothing, and employment. It also added "re-entry specialists" to prisons to help people plan for their release.
Why this matters to the community:
- The Critical 72 Hours: The first three days after release are when people are most likely to fail. This law provides bus passes and clothing to prevent people from becoming homeless or desperate upon release from prison.
- Community-Led Safety: WAGEES programs use local mentors who know their neighborhoods. This "credible messenger" model is more effective at stopping crime than government supervision alone.
- Workforce Development: This law helps formerly incarcerated individuals access vocational training tosecure employment with local businesses, fill jobs, and pay taxes.
Copies of the reports the department provides for this legislation may be accessed by clicking below.
- HB 14-1355 Re-entry Initiatives Reports (SUNSETTED as of FY21)
Re-entry Initiatives FY20 Re-entry Initiatives FY19 Re-entry Initiatives FY18
Re-entry Initiatives FY17 Re-entry Initiatives FY16 Re-entry Initiatives FY15
Psychotropic Medication (SUNSETTED)
Reporting request: This law made sure that people with mental health needs didn't lose access to their medicine when they left prison. It provided a 30-day supply of prescriptions and a budget to cover additional costs until the person could obtain their own health insurance.
Why this matters to the community:
- Preventing Public Crises: When people stop taking psychiatric medicine suddenly, they can have mental health emergencies in public. This law stabilizes people during their most vulnerable time.
- Saving Emergency Costs: Keeping people on their medicine is much cheaper than the cost of emergency room visits or police responses to a mental health crisis.
- Parole Success: A person who is stable on their medication is much more likely to follow the rules, keep a job, and stay out of trouble.
Copies of the reports the department provides for this legislation may be accessed by clicking below.
- Psychotropic Medication (SUNSETTED)
Psychotropic Medication Report FY14 Psychotropic Medication Report FY13 Psychotropic Medication Report FY12
Psychotropic Medication Report FY11 Psychotropic Medication Report FY10 Psychotropic Medication Report FY09
Psychotropic Medication Report FY08 Psychotropic Medication Report FY07
SB 13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders in Colorado (SUNSETTED)
The full text of SB13-216 may be found through the Legiscan website.
Bill Summary: This act expanded the Youthful Offender System (YOS) to include young adults (ages 18 and 19). It serves as a "middle-tier" sentencing option—more intensive than juvenile detention but separate from the adult prison population. Instead of a "boot camp" style, YOS now uses a controlled and regimented environment focused on rehabilitation. It moves participants through four distinct phases: orientation, institutional treatment and education, pre-release transition, and community supervision.
Why this matters to the community:
- Developmental Fairness: Science shows the human brain (specifically the part that controls impulses) isn't fully developed until age 25. By keeping 18- and 19-year-olds away from older "career" criminals in adult prisons, the state helps these "emerging adults" mature and change their life paths before they become lifelong offenders.
- Trauma-Informed Success: Many young offenders have histories of trauma. The modern YOS focuses on behavioral health and therapy rather than just punishment. This approach is more effective at addressing the root causes of crime, leading to much lower rates of re-offending (recidivism) compared to the adult system.
- Job and Life Skills: Participants work toward their GEDs and earn vocational certificates in trades like construction, electrical work, and computer repair. Because they gain real-world skills and job placement help, they are ready to become tax-paying workers the moment they return to their neighborhoods.
- Taxpayer Value: It is far more cost-effective to rehabilitate a young person in a specialized program than it is to pay for their repeated arrests and prison stays over the next 40 years. YOS consistently has one of the highest success rates in the state, making it a smart investment in public safety.
Copies of the reports the department provides for this legislation may be accessed by clicking below.
- SB 13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders within CDOC Reports (SUNSETTED)
SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY21
SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY20 SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY19
SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY18 SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY17
SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY16 SB13-216 Concerning Youthful Offenders FY14
Work Release Program (SUNSETTED)
Reporting Requirement: The legislature made changes to the Correctional Industries Act to allow CCI to work in collaboration with the department to facilitate opportunities, and to enable the department to run work programs where it is not feasible for CCI to do so. The modifications expanded the language of the statute that already authorizes the department to create off ground work programs with various governmental entities and non-profits to also include private employers, and expanded the classification of inmates who can participate in these programs. Related to this legislation, the department provided reports on work programs it implemented, including number of individuals assigned to the program, wages for program participants, and recidivism rates for participants.
Note: CDOC is evaluating the best options for effective reentry programs moving forward given current staffing levels at the agency, and as of 2022, this program was paused while we review and update logistics and criteria and address immediate staffing needs.
Copies of the reports the department provides to the legislature may be accessed by clicking the blue bar below.
- Work Release Program Reports (SUNSETTED)
Work Release Program Report FY22