Senate Approves Bill to Reduce Child and Incarcerated Parent Separation

SB23-039 would help facilitate communication and family time between children and parents who are incarcerated

DENVER, CO – The Colorado Senate today approved Senator Janet Buckner’s, D-Aurora, bill to reduce separation between children and parents who are incarcerated.

SB23-039 would require the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and the Department of Corrections to implement policies to help facilitate communication and family time between parents who are incarcerated and their children.

“Both children and their parents are negatively impacted by separation and lack of time spent together,” said Buckner. “Far too often, parents who are incarcerated face barriers to seeing their children. This critical bill will reduce the harmful effects of parent and child separation by providing incarcerated parents opportunities to maintain a relationship with their child.”

The bill establishes requirements for parents who are incarcerated during dependency and neglect hearings, including having an attorney be appointed and having the right to attend and participate in all proceedings. The bill requires CDHS to make rules to facilitate communication and family time between children and parents who are incarcerated.

SB23-039 also requires case workers to provide information about services and treatment available to an incarcerated parent, opportunities for family time at the facility in which the parent is incarcerated, and make reasonable efforts to involve a parent who is incarcerated in planning services.

The bill requires DOC to provide transportation for an incarcerated parent in a dependency and neglect proceeding or try to facilitate remote participation, consider placing a parent in a facility near their child, provide opportunities for family time and communication between incarcerated parents and their children, and to hire a family services coordinator.

SB23-039 now heads to the House for further consideration. You can follow the bill’s progress HERE.