i_sentencingreform_2017a_2017-09-22t09:09:50z1 Hearing Summary
Date: 09/22/2017
Location: RM 271
Sex Offense Reform
SENTENCING IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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09:22 AM -- Sex Offense Reform
Ms. Laurie Rose Kepros, Director of Sexual Litigation, Office of the State Public Defender, briefed the committee on various issues associated with the reform of sexual offense laws. Committee members received a packet of supporting information for the briefing (Attachment A). Ms. Kepros provided an overview of Colorado's Lifetime Supervision Act, and discussed the impact of the act. Ms. Kepros responded to questions regarding statistics associated with those under lifetime supervision for sex offenses. She returned to discussing penalties for sex offenses.
170922 AttachA.pdf
09:32 AM
Ms. Kepros discussed the charging rate under the Lifetime Supervision Act, and the threshold for gaining a conviction under the act. Ms. Kepros cited some additional statistics associated with the prosecution of sex crimes, and responded to questions regarding these statistics. Ms. Kepros discussed a Venn diagram contained in Attachment A, and responded to questions regarding those who have met certain criteria for parole under the Lifetime Supervision Act but have not been released.
09:43 AM
Ms. Kepros further briefed the committee on sex offense issues, using the contents of Attachment A as the basis of her presentation, and discussed risk reduction tactics and recidivism for sex offenders. Discussion ensued regarding sex offenders who cannot access adequate programming to meet parole requirements, and recidivism for sex offenders.
09:58 AM
Discussion continued regarding recidivism rates for sex offenders. Ms. Kepros discussed access to the Department of Corrections' Sex Offense Treatment and Monitoring Program. She responded to questions regarding how to legislatively address the disparate provision of treatment programming to certain risk levels of sex offenders. Ms. Kepros also discussed some caselaw finding sexual offender registries unconstitutional, and factors that lead to a listing on a sex offense registry.
10:13 AM -- Ms. Caryn Datz, representing the Twentieth Judicial District, addressed Ms. Kepros' testimony on sex offenses. Ms. Datz responded to questions regarding the use of polygraph tests in association with sex offenses. Discussion ensued regarding a certain case involving an indeterminate sentence for a sexual offense, and anomalous outcomes for sex offense cases.