By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
In a matter of days, two proposed initiatives by Advance Colorado could be referred to the ballot, featuring widely supported concepts to make communities safer and better fund police training, recruitment and retention, proponents say.
The propositions concern eligibility for parole and lengthening time served for violent criminals, and funding some police activities specific to training, recruitment and retention through the state’s general fund. Both are awaiting the final step of signature verification to reach the ballot.
“People really like the idea of making sure violent criminals stay in jail,” Advance Colorado President Michael Fields told Sean Duffy on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’. “These are second-degree murderers and rapists. These are the worst of the worst.”
Presently assigned the name “#112 Concerning Eligibility for Parole“, the proposition would re-implement tough on crime policy. It would require any repeat offender of a crime of violence between July 1, 1987, and Jan. 1, 2025, to serve 75% of the sentence imposed at the time of conviction; for anyone committed on a crime of violence on or after Jan. 1, 2025, to serve 85% of the sentence imposed at the time of conviction; for anyone convicted of a violent crime who has twice previously been convicted of a similar offense to only be eligible for parole after the imposed sentence has been served; and for anyone convicted of a similar violent crime on or after Jan. 1, 2025, to begin parole only after service of the full sentence.
Violent crime is described by the measure as first-degree assault and kidnapping, first- or second-degree sexual assault, first-degree arson, burglary or aggravated robbery, and second-degree murder.
“Colorado has seen a huge rise in violent crime over the last couple of years and the problem is people are getting out of jail at 43% of their sentence,” Fields said on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’. “I think people are shocked when they realize we are letting violent criminals out [early] and they are reoffending at a high rate.”
Colorado has the fourth-highest recidivism rate among all states, placing it in the top 8% of recidivism states, Fields noted.
“People really like the idea of making sure violent criminals stay in jail.”
– Advance Colorado President Michael Fields
Soft-on-crime policies “has the effect you would think it would have: Your community is less safe,” said Advance Colorado’s Executive Vice President Kristi Burton Brown during the ‘Advance Colorado Rundown’.
The measure is a response to the legislature failing to act, Burton Brown said.
“Bills have been run to fix this. It is an easy fix: pass a law and keep these people in jail,” she said on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’. “They haven’t done it. That’s why it is important to go to the people.”
The measure is highly supported, earning more than 60% support in polling, Fields said.
“It is a no-brainer to people who ask why are we letting them out at 43% when it should be 85% or more,” he said on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’. “That’s why we want to bring the ballot measure forward.”
He complains members of the Colorado Legislature won’t act because there are forces other than those who elected them at play.
“It is a party-line vote [in the legislature] because of a lot of the special interests who say you can’t do anything about crime,” Fields said on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’. “You have legislators there who are elected and then they don’t listen to what the people want.”
A fiscal report on the bill indicates, in an average year, 449 offenders are sentenced in Colorado to between 12 and 24 years in prison, with a cost of $56,972 per year for an inmate in a state-run prison and $8,387 per year for parole supervision. A full fiscal report for the Blue Book was not available at the time of this report.
The companion proposition, presently assigned the name “#157 Funding for Law Enforcement“, is defined by Burton Brown as the “Back the Blue” initiative. It reserves $350 million from the general fund, without using a tax increase or added fee, to support police training, recruitment and retention, and to provide a death benefit for a peace officer killed in the line of duty.
“It is looking at the legislature, who often doesn’t spend money well, and saying what actually matters to the people of Colorado is safety in our communities,” Burton Brown said on ‘Advance Colorado’s Rundown’.
The fund would be designed to allow local communities and local law enforcement departments to decide their needs and apply for fund dispersal. The fund would “assist in recruiting, training and supporting peace officers and their families,” the measure text reads. It restricts monies to “bona fide peace officer functions, and not for programs for other human services”. Additionally, the measure calls for monies to “supplement” and not “supplant other state or local appropriations to agencies.”
“If there are law enforcement needs in your community and you can’t afford it, this measure will provide the funds to make your community safer.”
– Advance Colorado Executive VP Kristi Burton Brown said.
The death benefit would support law enforcement much in the same way private 100 Clubs operate. The surviving spouse, children or estate of any peace officer killed in the line of duty “shall be paid $1 million … from the peace officer training and support fund”, in addition to other payments from worker’s compensation, pensions and other benefits.
“If there are law enforcement needs in your community and you can’t afford it, this measure will provide the funds to make your community safer,” Burton Brown said.
She indicated the fund could potentially assist school districts with the costs of implementing and maintaining a school-resource officer program.