Offenders with Mental Illness

One of the significant problems faced in Colorado’s criminal justice system is what to do with offenders who have mental illnesses. The General Assembly revisits the issue annually in their interim Legislative Oversight Committee for the Continuing Examination of the Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness who are Involved in the Criminal Justice System. Click here for their most recent report. Our library also has all of the committee’s previous reports online; search our web catalog for prior years’ reports.

Additionally, the Colorado Dept. of Corrections has released a new report, Offenders with Mental Illness. The Colorado Dept. of Public Safety has also published several reports on the subject, including Colorado’s Juvenile Justice State Plan for Youth with Mental Health Issues and Co-Occurring Disorders, which focuses specifically on juvenile populations.