HB 26-1315

HB 26-1315, titled "Accurate Documents for Parole Determinations," requires Colorado's Department of Corrections to audit risk assessments and inmate records to ensure accuracy. This helps prevent errors that might incorrectly label an inmate as low-risk during parole decisions. The bill also mandates the creation of a quality review team to develop policies ensuring consistent and accurate risk assessments, which are crucial for planning parole supervision and identifying necessary interventions. Signed into law, this means the Department of Corrections must now implement these changes to improve the reliability of their risk assessment processes.

Official Summary

The bill requires the department of corrections to audit a random sample of risk assessments and documentation of a person's history, supervision requirements, and behavior under supervision, known as a 'chronological', to determine whether there were errors in the risk assessments and chronologicals that resulted in an inmate receiving a low or very low risk on their risk assessments. The bill requires the department of corrections to report the results of this audit and any other matters related to corrective actions undertaken to mitigate error rates in risk assessments. Risk assessments assess a parolee's criminogenic needs and risk of recidivism, and are used to guide parole supervision planning, identify appropriate interventions, and establish parole supervision levels or categories.     The bill requires the department of corrections (department) to establish a risk assessment quality review team to develop policies and implement practices that determine whether risk assessments are completed accurately and consistently, and to ensure a sustained process of review and training.      For its 'SMART Act' hearing beginning in 2027, and each year thereafter, the department is required to include information concerning reviewed risk assessments, including findings and measures implemented to mitigate recent high error rates in risk assessments.     The bill clarifies that risk assessments and chronologicals are criminal justice records for purposes of public inspection. except that any information concerning the person's health must be redacted. The bill prohibits an agreement that prohibits the disclosure of information in a risk assessment that is subject to disclosure under the law.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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