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DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon. HB25-1116 would require the Department of Corrections to search for and notify relevant parties of an outstanding warrant in certain cases when a person is in custody.
“When we don’t search for outstanding warrants while someone is already in the justice system, it wastes taxpayer time and money,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Waiting to handle warrants, which are typically for low-level offenses, until they are released is inefficient. It's unfair for Coloradans and their families who find out that they have to go back to jail after they were already released and re-entering their communities. By streamlining the warrant process, we can help identify existing warrants or cases so Coloradans can address them or serve time while already incarcerated and reduce recidivism to keep our communities safer.”
HB25-1116, also sponsored by Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, unanimously passed by a vote of 11-0. The bill would require the Department of Corrections (DOC) to search for and notify relevant parties of any outstanding warrants for a person in custody in the following cases:
Upon initial admission to the DOC,
Upon initial comprehensive evaluation of the Time Computation Unit,
Six months after admission,
Between three and six months before a community corrections eligibility date, and
Upon request of the Public Defender liaison.
If an outstanding warrant or pending case is discovered, the DOC is required to notify the offender, a public defender liaison, and the court that issued the warrant.