SB 18-249

Senate Bill 18-249, titled "Redirection Criminal Justice Behavioral Health," aims to create up to four pilot programs across different areas of Colorado. These programs will divert individuals with low-level criminal offenses and mental health issues from the traditional justice system into community-based treatment and support services instead. The bill requires collaboration between judges, district attorneys, law enforcement, and local healthcare providers to identify suitable candidates for these diversion programs. Once signed into law, the program is set to run until December 1, 2021, after which it will be repealed unless extended. Currently, since the bill has been signed, it means that the pilot programs can now begin implementation in selected judicial districts across Colorado, aiming to provide better mental health support and reduce unnecessary criminal justice involvement for those who need it most.

Official Summary

The bill creates up to 4 pilot programs in judicial districts in the state that divert individuals with low-level criminal behavior and a mental health condition to community resources and treatment rather than continued criminal justice involvement (program). The programs must be developed in accordance with the principles and proposed model recommended by the Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice, adopted on January 12, 2018.The state court administrator (SCAO) and the Colorado district attorneys' council shall collaborate to identify potential program sites, with the agreement of the elected district attorneys and chief judges in a judicial district. Once a judicial district has been selected as a program site, the chief judge and district attorney for the judicial district shall work collaboratively with interested and necessary participants to decide which courts and counties within the judicial districts are best suited to implement the pilot program. Interested and necessary participants include law enforcement, jail officials, public defenders, judges, pretrial service providers, and local community mental health and behavioral health service providers. The chief judge of a designated program district is responsible for the local implementation of the program, including establishing policies and procedures and facilitating formal agreements that might be required for implementation. The SCAO is responsible for overall program administration, including ensuring that, on or before January 1, 2019, each judicial district implements its own unique program. The mental health criminal justice diversion grant program (grant program) is created within the SCAO. The SCAO shall administer and monitor the grant program, including establishing funding guidelines and acceptable expenses, making specific grant awards, and disbursing grant award money to district attorneys' offices for the implementation of local programs. The program is repealed, effective December 1, 2021. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

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