HB 25-1116

House Bill 25-1116, which has been signed into law, requires Colorado's Department of Corrections to check if inmates have any outstanding warrants or pending court cases before they are released. This search must be conducted when the inmate undergoes an initial evaluation and again three to eight months before their release date. If a warrant or case is found, the department will inform both the inmate and relevant courts so that these issues can be resolved before the inmate leaves prison. The law aims to help ensure inmates have legal representation and can address any unresolved court matters before they are released back into the community.

Official Summary

The act requires the department of corrections (department) to search all information available to the department to determine whether an offender held at a correctional facility is subject to an outstanding warrant or if the offender has a pending case in a Colorado court. The department is required to conduct the search when the department conducts the initial comprehensive evaluation of the offender's sentence and 3 to 8 months prior to the offender's community correction eligibility date. The act requires the department to establish guidelines and policies that address requests for additional searches as may be needed by the public defender liaison to the department. If the department determines that an offender is subject to a warrant or has a pending case in a Colorado court, the department shall notify the offender, the public defender liaison to the department, and the court that issued the warrant or in which the case is pending, as applicable. The general assembly encourages a court to ensure the offender appears before the court, is assigned counsel if the defendant is eligible for court-appointed counsel, allows the offender to resolve the warrant in a timely manner, and facilitates virtual appearance for the offender. The act does not prohibit the department from searching for outstanding warrants at any other time. The act requires the office of state public defender to designate an email address for the public defender liaisons to the department of corrections to receive notifications from the department. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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