Colorado lawmakers want fewer people awaiting trial in jail
“It’s really about access to justice,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat from Denver who serves as vice chair on the House Judiciary Committee. Herod said her goal is to “dismantle the racism and the classism” that exists within Colorado’s criminal justice system." Read full article #criminaljustice #LeslieHerod #prisonpopulation #cashbond #mentalhealth
New Colorado Bill 1263 Revolutionizes the Legality of Drug Possession
"With this new law in place, those found with Schedule I and II drugs will likely still appear in front of a judge to be sentenced, although the goal is to “give [drug users] another chance,” according to Leslie Herod, the State Rep. who sponsored the bill." "However, drug possession is far from being decriminalized. The bill still subjects those found with the substances in question to a jail sentence. Bill 1263 will not protect those who deal Schedule I and II drugs or thos
Op-Ed: Lawmakers Changing Prisoner Life Post-Release
“The distance between a prison and an ex-offender's home community generally can be traversed by bus in a few hours. But the real distance an ex-offender must travel from incarceration to successful reintegration can take years, or even decades, to achieve. Thanks to Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Department of Corrections director Dean Williams and Representative Leslie Herod, tangible measures soon will be in place for ex-offenders to succeed.” Read full article #criminalju
Denver to strengthen mental health, drug abuse treatment
"In bolstering treatment options in the city and county, Caring 4 Denver will focus funding on housing for those in need of mental health or substance abuse treatment, as well as training for first responders, Will Fenton, legislative liaison Denver Department of Health and Environment, said Wednesday. Through this effort, the foundation hopes to reduce homelessness, improve long-term recovery, and curb the use of jails and emergency room visits." Read full article #mentalhea
Officials lower Colorado prison population predictions
"Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver and others questioned the methodology behind the numbers, which affect funding or opening new facilities." "On June 30, about 14,200 inmates were in the corrections department’s 19 prisons." "Nearly 3,900 more were at three private prisons with state contracts. Read full article #criminaljusticereform #criminaljustice #LeslieHerod #paroleevoting #prisonpopulation
Faulty forecast for Colorado prison population due to policy changes
"But some legislators question the methodology that state researchers use." "It’s important that we dig down into what is working and what is not working," said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. "This specific modeling has been off for years." Read full article #criminaljusticereform #criminaljustice #LeslieHerod #prisonpopulation
Colorado’s prison population was projected to balloon. Now analysts aren’t so sure.
“This specific modeling has been off for years,” said state Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat and chair of the Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee. That the governor’s office and General Assembly continue to rely on iffy data, she said, is something, “we really need to address.” Read full article #criminaljustice #LeslieHerod #prisonpopulation
Concerns rise as drug penalties drop
“It is the intention of the General Assembly to classify most drug possession on and after March 1, 2020, as a misdemeanor offense with different sentencing options and limited incarceration penalties,” reads the bill, which Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat, and Rep. Shane Sandridge, a Republican introduced. The bill was sponsored in the Senate by Vicki Marble and Pete Lee." “The purpose of this sentencing scheme is to provide offenders who are assessed to be in need of treatmen
Colorado Democrats call Larimer County sheriff's statement 'irresponsible' description o
"State Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver and sponsor of the bill in the House, said Smith's characterization that it stops police from arresting people for drug misdemeanors is "an urban legend," and "irresponsible to spread as a law enforcement officer." "That is irresponsible. That is not real, and it has no basis in facts about what the bill does," Herod said. "If he wants to talk about the bill or needs help reading through it, I'm happy to do so." "Instead, the law is aimed at
The cost of caring for mentally ill inmates
"State spending on mental health care for prison inmates has nearly quadrupled in the past two decades. Expenditures on the Colorado Department of Corrections’ “mental health subprogram” increased from about $4.4 million in fiscal year 2000-01 to nearly $17 million in fiscal year 2017-18, the department reports. Subprogram expenses include mental health clinician salaries and contracts for psychiatric services but do not cover the cost of psychiatric medications." "Nationwide
