Signed by Governor Jared Polis

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

a vote to pass a bill that establishes enhanced supports for youth who are in detention.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $3,340,119 for youth detention services or for alternative measures in lieu of detainments (Sec. 1). 

• Appropriates $ 200,000 for support services (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that these are the services that may be supported in lieu of detention (Sec. 1): 

• Community-based Outpatient therapeutic services;

• Mentorship services for youth; 

• Out-of-home placement and transition services. 

• Specifies that the department must use $1,780,137 of the appropriated resources on incentives for licensed providers to treat minors who would otherwise be detained (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that $1,359,922 shall be spent on emergency beds (Sec.1). 

• Specifies that temporary emergency beds do not count towards the total of emergency beds in the state (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that the state will be notified if there are more juveniles then there are emergency beds available and then the emergency temporary beds will be distributed (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that at a detention hearing for a minor, a Guardian Ad Litem shall be appointed (Sec. 2). 

• Requires the department to annually review data to measure the effect of youth detainment and what affect funding has had (Sec. 4). 

• This data will concern the following factors (Sec. 4): 

• Demographic information; 

• The number of temporary emergency beds; 

• The number of youth released due to lack of beds.

Full Bill Text