Colorado has come to understand that problem-solving courts such as adult, criminal drug courts, have been shown by a growing body of research to be a very effective means of reducing substance abuse, managing mental illness, and increasing the likelihood that people will remain in recovery and reintegrate into their communities as productive and contributing members.

The Colorado Problem Solving Court Standards for DUI courts distinguishes between Colorado fundamental minimum standard practices and encouraged best practice standards. For all components, the Committee recognizes that the DUI Court may need to account for local circumstances beyond the immediate control of the DUI Court Team which may impact the full implementation of a fundamental or best practice.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted almost every aspect of society, including the criminal justice system, leaving crowded courts, prisons and jails especially susceptible to the outbreak. This memorandum provides an overview of how courts in Colorado are handling this public health emergency.

Drug Court is an innovative alternative to prison with emphasis on accountability and intensive monitoring for drug abusing criminal offenders. The drug court removes defendants from the clogged courtrooms of the traditional criminal justice system, placing them in a new type of courtroom environment where they undergo treatment and counseling, submit to frequent and random drug testing, make regular appearances before the judge and are monitored...

Pretrial detention causes lost employment and housing, disruption in education, and damage to family relationships. Defendants detained in jail awaiting trial plead guilty more often, are convicted more often, are sentenced to prison more often, and receive harsher prison sentences than those who are released during the pretrial period.1 Avoiding unnecessary pretrial confinement should be of paramount importance to every court system. Moreover, courts...