|
PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONCERNING COLORADO JAIL STANDARDS
| Date |
09/11/2024 |
| Attendance |
| Armagost |
X |
| Garcia |
X |
| Gonzales |
E |
| Van Winkle |
E |
| Coleman |
X |
| Amabile |
X |
|
| Time |
09:01:09 AM to 10:05:29 AM |
| Place |
SCR 357 |
| This Meeting was called to order by |
Amabile |
| This Report was prepared by |
Jessika Shipley |
|
| Hearing Items |
Action Taken |
| hUpdate on Jail Standards Advisory Committee |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hRequests for Draft Bills |
Committee Discussion Only |
|
|
Update on Jail Standards Advisory Committee - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
09:02:32 AM |
Amy Nichols, representing
the County Sheriffs of Colorado, provided an update about the Colorado
Jail Standards Oversight Committee, created by House Bill 24-1054. She
responded to questions from the committee. Jeff Riester, representing the
Colorado Department of Law, spoke about jail standards assessments and
associated investigations and reviews. He indicated that assessments of
jails will be administered by an individual in the Peace Officers Standards
and Training Board, and the Department of Law will be responsible for the
investigations and reviews.
|
|
09:15:49 AM |
Mr. Riester continued to discuss the development of the assessment process. He responded to questions from the committee about the complaint process related to jail standards.
|
Requests for Draft Bills - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
09:18:51 AM |
Ms. Nichols spoke about recent conversations among stakeholders related to funding for jail standards compliance. Several options have been discussed, but no single idea has been identified. Representative Amabile suggested resurrecting House Bill 18-1058 as a new bill.
|
|
09:25:47 AM |
Sheriff Heath Speckman,
representing the Lake County Sheriff's Office, discussed the Lake County
Jail and a new justice center that was supposed to be under construction
until funding was cut. Lake County Commissioner Jeff Fieldler joined the
committee to talk about the project and the reasons it isn't proceeding.
|
|
09:36:53 AM |
Commissioner Fiedler spoke about a model where individuals are held in cells in the courthouse for shorter periods of time and then transported to neighboring county jails for detention. Commissioner Fiedler and Sheriff Speckman discussed the relative costs for different jail options and asked for state support.
|
|
09:46:28 AM |
Commissioner Fiedler and Sheriff Speckman responded to questions from the committee.
|
|
09:49:20 AM |
James Karbach, representing the Office of the State Public Defender, came to the table to discuss an idea for legislation related to communication between persons experiencing incarceration and defense attorneys. He talked about the cost of installing appropriate phone lines and wi-fi in jails to allow such communication. Mr. Karbach responded to questions from the committee.
|
|
09:59:19 AM |
Representative Amabile
listed communicate, consolidate, and funding structure as bill drafts.
There was no objection. She chose points of contact to work with the Office
of Legislative Legal Services on the bills.
|
|
10:03:05 AM |
Representative Amabile announced that the bill drafts would need to be finalized by October 22 and then the committee will meet again November 12 to vote on the bill drafts.
|
| 10:05:29 AM |
The committee adjourned. |
