Bill to Strengthen Support for Youth in the Criminal Justice System Passes Committee

SB25-043 would promote use of community support programs for youth in the criminal justice system

DENVER, CO – A bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, and Senator Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, to bolster support and promote deflection programs for youth caught up in the criminal justice system passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today. 

“Juvenile records can be devastating for a child’s chances at graduating high school, going to college, securing housing, joining the military, and finding employment, all of which contributes to higher recidivism,” said Michaelson Jenet. “Keeping at-risk and underserved youth out of the criminal justice system is the best way to support and uplift them on a path to living healthy and productive lives.”

“Intervening early in the cases of low-level offenses allows judges, prosecutors and law enforcement to spend their resources on youth with more demanding needs,” said Amabile. “This bill is about addressing the underlying causes of juvenile crime and treating them effectively for the good of young people, their families, and our state.”  

SB25-043 would make several changes to the process for determining whether or not a juvenile is competent to stand trial in an adult court and would require courts to drop charges for low-level offenses if a juvenile is found incompetent to proceed. The bill also clarifies and provides a framework for how courts and families of these youth proceed with case management plans, including what information can and cannot be included in the plan and how the court may proceed if a juvenile or their family does not engage with the plan. 

Additionally, the bill would create the Deflection and Community Investment Grant Program in the Colorado Department of Public Safety to implement trauma-informed health and development deflection programs for youth beginning in 2026. The grant program follows a framework proven by other states; a similar program in California found that after year three, around 70 percent of youth participants had no further contact with the juvenile justice system.

SB25-043 was recommended by the Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems Interim Committee. 

SB25-043 now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track the bill’s progress HERE.