Medical Aid-in-Dying
This memorandum provides an overview of Colorado’s Medical Aid-in-Dying law, which legalized the practice of prescribing medical aid-in-dying medication to eligible terminally ill patients in Colorado.
State Laws Addressing Age of Sexual Consent
This memorandum provides an overview of state laws that address age of consent for sexual activity. More specifically, it provides information about the age of sexual consent in Colorado and other states, including exemptions that allow a person below the age of consent to have lawful sex with...
Capital Construction Fact Sheet: Colorado Correctional Industries
This Fact Sheet provides detailed information on the Colorado Correctional Industries (CCi), a self-supporting division of the Department of Corrections (DOC), which oversees and manages prison work programs in the state. Established in 1977, CCi’s purpose, as defined in state law, includes...
Summary of Public Health Legislation (2018)
During the 2018 session, the General Assembly considered bills related to suicide prevention, requests to study public health effects, changes to certificates and databases overseen by the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), nad other public health-related legislation.
Summary of Corrections Legislation (2018)
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly introduced numerous bills concerning the state’s correctional system and associated issues.
Summary of Crimes and Law Enforcement Legislation (2018)
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly introduced numerous bills concerning crimes,criminal penalties, and law enforcement.
Post-Conviction Sex Offender Polygraph Testing for Adult Sex Offenders
This memorandum provides an overview of how post-conviction sex offender polygraph testing (PCSOT) is used for adult sex offenders in Colorado, as well as in other states. It also includes a summary of current research on its effectiveness.
Statutes of Limitations for Criminal Offenses (18-18)
A statute of limitations is a law that specifies the maximum length of time allowed for a victim or prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings. Such a statute may apply in either criminal or civil cases. This issue brief provides an overview of criminal statutes of limitations, including...
Emergency Mental Health Holds (18-21)
This issue brief addresses Colorado’s emergency mental health hold procedure, which allows for an individual to be involuntarily held for a 72‑hour period of treatment and evaluation if he or she appears to have a mental illness and, due to the mental illness, appears to be an imminent...
State Laws Regarding Gravity and Switchblade Knives (17-10)
Gravity and switchblade knives, which were originally popularized by classic movies such as West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause, are considered illegal weapons in Colorado. Possessing such a weapon could result in a fine or jail time, or both. This issue brief...
Jury Duty in Criminal Cases
This memorandum provides an overview of jury duty for criminal trials in Colorado, including how jurors are summoned, excused, selected, paid, and impaneled. Jury deliberations, instructions, and verdicts are also covered.
Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee Final Report
The Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee was created pursuant to Article 22.3 of Title 10, Colorado Revised Statutes. The purpose of this committee is to study issues relating to opioid and substance use disorders in Colorado and examine potential solutions concerning...
Mental Health Medication in the Criminal Justice System (19-01)
According to the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC), between 2012 to 2017, the number of inmates who had moderate to severe mental health needs increased by 7 percent. Additionally, a steep increase in court-ordered competency evaluations and restorative treatments has caused a shortage...
2018 Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems Final Report
Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems.