SB21-062 will reduce instances of police violence and protect presumptively innocent people from the system of wealth-based pre-trial detention ...
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SB21-062 IS THE
CHANGE COLORADO
IS ASKING FOR.
SB21-062 will reduce instances of police violence and protect presumptively
innocent people from the system of wealth-based pre-trial detention and
bail that disproportionally harms people of color, and those struggling with
mental illness, houselessness, and addiction.
Saves lives and reduces the harms of racialized policing
Vetted to ensure public safety
PASS
SB21-062
Supported by many crime survivors
RACIALIZED POLICING IS
DESTROYING BLACK AND BROWN
LIVES IN COLORADO.
Every arrest is a flashpoint of harm for Black and Brown communities that are
especially vulnerable to police violence and an unjust criminal legal system.
Aurora police use force The rate of misdemeanor
against Black people at more arrests are up to 7 times higher
than 3 times the rate of for Black people than white
white people. people.
47% 17%
of presumptively innocent people
of those struck, tackled, pepper
in Colorado's jails are Black, while
sprayed, tased or shot by Aurora Police
making up only 5% of the state's
in 2019 were Black, despite Black people
population.
making up only 16% of the population.
66% 75%
of cases where force was used by A Black person with a misdemeanor is
Aurora Police were for misdemeanor 75% more likely to face conviction than a
or petty offenses. white person.
SB21-062 limits arrests for the lower-level
offenses that too often lead to devastating harm
for Black and Brown Coloradans.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/george-floyd-s-deathstarted-arrest-misdemeanor-petty-crime-needs-ncna1260258
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/09/denver-aurora-police-use-of-force-race/ | https://gazette.com/news/colorado-department-of-public-safety-blacks-more-frequently-arrested-more-harshly-punished/article_0bc0593a-a18e-51f8-817a-b2ae74860e6f.html
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/aurora-police-disproportionately-use-force-against-black-people-report-says/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1619883004061000&usg=AOvVaw3V_82HibVAGIJhVxNx9zmy
SB21-062 IS THE RIGHT BILL AT THE RIGHT MOMENT. SB21-062 requires officers to pause and assess before jailing someone on suspicion of a low-level offense, and issue a summons instead of arresting if the suspected person does not pose a safety risk or risk of re-offense. This will protect the public by reserving police resources for those who are a risk to others, and protect our most vulnerable communities from the harms of systemic racism in policing and our justice system. "We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America. Now is our opportunity to make real progress … To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in George Floyd’s name that passed the House already." - President Joe Biden SB21-062 is the ONLY piece of legislation on the table in Colorado that would have saved George Floyd's life. The need for change is dire. "The reason why there needs to be a Senate Bill 62 is because we are harassed, we are targeted, we are seen as threats, and we are met with force for even for the smallest suspicion, and that has to change." Representative Leslie Herod Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado Press Conference response to the Derek Chauvin verdict "For communities of color and people like Uncle Mike, the status quo kills. We can be safe and save lives with Senate Bill 62." Natalia Marshall Niece of Michel Marshall, a homeless street preacher who was killed by Denver deputies after being arrested for misdemeanor trespass
SB21-062 MAKES
COMMUNITIES SAFER.
Trusted Colorado leaders with a proven commitment to justice and
public safety stand in strong support of SB21-062.
Colorado Attorney District Attorney District Attorney District Attorney Sheriff Sean Stan Hilkey
General Phil Weiser Beth McCann Alexis King Alonzo Payne Smith Former Sheriff, CO
Dept. of Public Safety
District Attorney Beth McCann: District Attorney Alexis King:
This bill strikes a good balance “We have a grave responsibility when
between the need to take we put people in custody… but if we
dangerous people into custody and overincarcerate low risk low-level
put them in jail, versus the lower- folks, we are destabilizing them in
level nonviolent offenders who do the community... the end result is
not need to take up the time and perpetuating the destabilization that
space of our sheriffs and jails.” leads to criminal behavior.”
Recent data shows crime decreases when police scale back
enforcement for low-level crimes.
When Baltimore scaled-back enforcement of low level crimes, violent crime decreased 20%
and property crime declined 36%. Boston stopped prosecuting low-level, nonviolent offenses
and the two-year recidivism rate for those defendants dropped by 58%.
VIOLENT CRIME PROPERTY CRIME RECIDIVISM RATE
20% 36% 58%
https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/03/29/non-prosecution-low-level-crime-rollins-suffolk-county
CRIME SURVIVORS IN
SUPPORT SB21-062.
Crime survivor groups had substantial input on SB21-062 and, as a result of
amendments to address their concerns, all survivor groups in the state and the
Colorado District Attorneys' Council are neutral or in support. Colorado Crime
Survivors Network, and many individual crime survivors are in strong support.
"I have experienced the worst pain possible for any mother:
The loss of my 3- year-old son through an act of violence.
Even as I am a survivor of a devastating crime, I do not think that the
solution to crime is to invest more of our resources into mass incarceration.
Filling our jails with people whose “crimes” are missing a court date or
failing a technical parole condition does not help survivors of crime and
only causes more harm. We must stop investing millions in jailing people for
low-level offenses and use that money to help our communities.”
Sharletta Evans
Crime Survivor and Founder of the Colorado Crime Survivors Network
“I’m a queer and trans person, and a survivor of rape
and intimate partner violence.
When I was in an abusive relationship, there were many things that could
have protected me, but locking up more of my neighbors for low-level
offenses isn't one of them. Jailing people is an extremely traumatizing and
violent response to crime. It doesn’t make sense to me as a survivor why we
would perpetuate such violence against people for minor offenses.”
Dana Steiner
Crime Survivor
Arresting for "low-level offenses"
Many crime unnecessarily destabilizes communities
survivors support
SB21-062 always allows law enforcement to
SB21-062 because: arrest people when there is a safety threat.
GET THE FACTS ON SB21-062.
Local police have used disinformation and fearmongering in an attempt to maintain
their ability to arrest whoever they want, whenever they want, regardless of the level of
offense or the safety risk. But the proven consequences of arresting without discretion
are too harmful to ignore. Get the facts on SB21-062.
SB21-062 would help reserve jail beds for people who
pose a safety risk to others
ALL serious felonies (class 1, 2, 3 and 4) are
SB21-62 does not completely unaffected by SB21-062.
limit arrests or bond
setting for high level ALL Victim Rights Act crimes, felonies, and weapons
offenses are arrestable whenever there is a safety
felonies, statutory
threat or a concern of repeat offense.
crimes of violence,
like murder and rape, Judges can issue a money bond or detain
pretrial anyone they feel to be a flight risk or
or domestic violence. safety risk.
WHY ARE LOW-LEVEL FELONIES IN THE BILL?
Decades of felonization have led to Colorado’s low-level
felonies mostly consisting of the kinds of non-dangerous
crimes that George Floyd was alleged to have
committed and that he died for. We implore you
not to pass a bill in George Floyd’s name if you are
going to gut the provisions that likely would
have saved him.
Dr. Apryl Alexander
Public Policy Liaison, Black Lives Matter 5280
SUPPORT FOR SB21-062
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Colorado Attorney District Attorney District Attorney District Attorney Sheriff Sean Stan Hilkey
General Phil Weiser Beth McCann Alexis King Alonzo Payne Smith Former Sheriff, CO
Dept. of Public Safety
ORGANIZATIONS & COMMUNITY
Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado | Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus
ACLU of Colorado Indivisible Colorado District 7
Allies to Abolitionists Indivisible Front Range Resistance
Association for Community Living in Boulder & Broomfield Counties Indivisible Highlands Ranch
Arapahoe Young Democrats Indivisible Centennial West
Black Sex Workers of Colorado Indivisible Colorado
Boulder County Democratic Party Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
Boulder Progressives JeffCo Colorado Action Network
Black Lives Matter 5280 Latino Coalition of Weld County
Campaign Zero Lawyers Civil Rights Committee
Casa de Paz Mental Health Colorado
Canna-Patient Resource Connection Meyers Law Office
Colorado-CURE Mulligan Breit McConnell, LLC
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar NAACP Boulder County Branch
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition NAACP CO MT WY State Conference
Colorado Department of Public Safety National Homelessness Law Center
Colorado Eviction Defense Project New Era CO
Colorado Freedom Fund Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel
Colorado Immigrant Rights Office of the Aurora Public Defender
Colorado Juvenile Defender Center Office of the State Public Defender
Criminal Justice Reform Coalition Physicians for Criminal Justice Reform
Coalition Disability Law Progress Now Colorado
Colorado Fort Collins Homeless Coalition Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center
Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity & Reproductive Rights Sam Cary Bar Association
Colorado Working Families Party SAFE: Safe Access for Everyone, Boulder
Democratic Socialists of America, Denver Chapter Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) Boulder
Democratic Socialists of America, Fort Collins Chapter Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) Denver
Family of Jerid Thistle Second Chance Center
Family of Jackson Maes The Arc Arapahoe & Douglas Counties
Family of Michael Marshall The Arc of Aurora
Family of Rev. Marvin Booker The Arc of Colorado
Family of Suzanne Burgaz The Arc Pikes Peak Region
Forever Indivisible The Bell Policy Center
Harm Reduction Action Center The Marigold Project
Healthier Colorado West Metro Resistance
Helping Hands for Dignity Coalition Women’s Lobby of Colorado
Human Relation Commission Yellow Scene Magazine
Highlands Law Firm Young Invincibles
SURVIVORS & PUBLIC SAFETY GROUPS
Colorado Department of Public Safety | Law Enforcement Action Partnership | Colorado Crime Survivors Network
There are no survivors groups that oppose SB21-062.
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