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State of Colorado
Department of Public Safety
Division of Criminal Justice
Drug Control and System Improvement Program
Annual Report
October 1, 1994
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State of Colorado
Roy Romer
Governor
Colorado Department of Public Safety
Patrick C. Ahlstrom
Executive Director
Division of Criminal Justice
William R. Woodward
Director
Descriptions and statements contained in this
report are extrapolated from Quarterly Progress
Reports and Annual Reports submitted to the
Division of Criminal Justice by subgrant projects
as well as site visits.
This report was prepared by the Division of Criminal Justice for the Bureau of Justice Assistance
on projects funded through a federal formula grant to the state of Colorado from the Edward
Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, Drug Control and System
Improvement Program.
This program was supported by Grant #93-DB-CX-0008, awarded by the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice
Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs which also includes the Bureau of
Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions contained within this
document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or
policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Between July 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994, Colorado's federal formula grant from the Edward
Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program supported eighty-one
projects. These projects covered eleven of twenty-one program purpose areas.
As the titles of the program purpose areas indicate, a wide variety of approaches have been
taken in Colorado to combat the drug and violent crime problem in our communities. At one
end of the continuum are the projects designed to prevent crime. On the other end, institutional
and treatment programs address those issues that arise when offenders are incarcerated and/or
required to complete a treatment program. Many projects fall between these two types of
programs. They include the enforcement projects as well as those designed to enhance the
effectiveness of enforcement efforts through technology. In addition, several projects address
the complex issues of supervising offenders in the community.
The ultimate goal of all of these projects is to prevent crime. The narcotics agent deters
offenders by arresting them and seizing their drugs and assets. The treatment provider teaches
the offender relapse prevention and conflict management. Probation, parole, and community
corrections staff monitor the offender to ensure the offender does not relapse or re -offend and
if the offender does, to ensure that the appropriate issues are addressed, particularly public
safety.
Colorado's 1994 State Annual Report (SAR) has been restructured based on the guidance
received from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The table of contents summarizes the
format of the entire report.
The projects that have been funded are organized by program purpose area. Each program
purpose area is divided into the following sections:
1) Program Overview: including the number of projects and funding information
2) Successes and Accomplishments: a summary of the accomplishments discussed
throughout the remaining sections
3) Program Activities and Components: an overview of the main components shared by
projects and those that are unique to specific projects
4) Goals and Objectives: overall goals of the program area as well as specific goals and
objectives that could not be well reflected in broader terms
5) Performance Indicators: identifying indicators of success, some of which have been
tracked by project staff and others that while they have not been systematically
followed, are relevant and indicative of the projects' success
6) Evaluation Activities: those activities conducted by both Drug Control and System
Improvement Program (DCSIP) staff and project staff that both formally and informally
evaluate projects for process and impact.
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Most of the projects funded in the current reporting period were also funded in the previous
year. A summary of the accomplishments continued from last year and new to this year follow:
#1 - Demand Reduction Education
Parents throughout the state have learned coping skills that will help them
manage their at -risk children as well as prevent alcohol and drug abuse
Students throughout the state have learned the effects of alcohol and drugs in
addition to learning how to cope with peer pressure to use these substances
Law enforcement has developed strong partnerships with a wide variety of
community members and organizations such as students, senior citizens,
neighborhood groups, and the schools
A sense of order, by providing a police officer on school grounds to conduct
general law enforcement, has been established in some of Colorado's schools
#2 - Multi -Jurisdictional Task Forces
Task forces have apprehended over 2500 offenders
The availability of illegal controlled substances for sale has been impacted by
removing large amounts over the last year
The assets of drug violators, totaling $1,562,173.38 in seizures and $345,443.89
in forfeitures, have been lawfully seized over the last year - projects earned
$262,779.68 in income
Collaboration between agencies has increased significantly; narcotics -related
investigations have become a more cooperative effort on the county, state, and
federal levels
Narcotics and drug related investigations have become more efficient and
effective through the sharing of limited resources and intelligence and enhanced
relationships between agencies
#4 - Community Crime Prevention
Crime prevention programs have educated community members on ways to
avoid crime; these programs have reduced the opportunity for criminal behavior
and the fear of victimization; Nearly 19,000 service hours have been put into
crime prevention activities
Quality of life has increased as citizens learn about crime in their local
community and make better crime prevention decisions
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Over 500 individuals from a variety of disciplines participated together in a 3 -
day conference addressing youth violence - the Attorney General, Janet Reno,
addressed conference participants
A local police officer has become an expert on issues relating to the elderly
#7a - Integrated Criminal Apprehension Programs (ICAP)
Automated information systems have allowed law enforcement to identify crime
trends, habitual offenders, and high crime areas - this allows them to use a more
pro -active style of managing their operations and they are better equipped to
respond to community concerns and needs
The time required to analyze beat configurations has decreased from 15 working
days to 1
The time required to analyze deployment scenarios has decreased from 4
working days to 30 minutes
#10 - Court Relay Reduction
The Drug Court's Advisory Committee and the Drug Court Team have been
established and the project initiated
#11 - Intensive Supervision - Probation and Parole
Much needed attention has been given to female offenders; specifically, their
unique treatment needs and their problems associated with their role as primary,
and more frequently, sole caretaker of their children have been addressed
Prison inmates are receiving the intense monitoring and therapy they need prior
to reintegration into Colorado's communities; a greenhouse employing and
providing a therapeutic outlet for sex offenders and substance abusers has been
established
Female probationers have been more compliant and successful while serving
their probation sentence due to individualized case management and smaller case
loads
Gender specific needs are better understood and addressed in community based
programs for high -risk female offenders
#13 - Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC)
Juveniles are being held accountable for their delinquent behavior through
restitution and community service work; their needs are also being responded to
through treatment, including family counseling
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Many community corrections clients are being diverted from prison into
intensive residential treatment
#15a - Drug Control Technology
Overcrowding in juvenile detention facilities has been reduced by engaging
juveniles in appropriate treatment and intensive supervision as a condition of
bond for early release from detention
Many other high -risk youth are diverted from detention, out -of -home placement,
and hospitalization
Barriers to employment, for youth, have been reduced for some youth, and their
self-sufficiency has increased
An Adolescent Treatment Network (ATN) which links community based
treatment agencies to the TASC program in order to effectively bridge the
treatment and juvenile justice communities has been established
TASC programs have helped parolees re -integrate successfully into Colorado's
communities
County jail inmates have received treatment for a variety of needs ranging from
substance abuse to anger control in an effort to prepare them for release into the
community and to prevent substance abuse relapse and recidivism
#15b - Criminal Justice Information Systems
Intelligence and other crime -related information is being accessed by law
enforcement agencies (especially in the rural areas) that did not previously have
such access, and the efficiency in obtaining such information has been enhanced
in larger agencies
Prosecutors are able to generate statistical reports that assist law enforcement
and district attorneys alike in their efforts to apprehend offenders and prosecute
cases
Initial stages of establishing DNA analysis within the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) have been completed
#19 - Evaluation of Drug Control Programs
Monitoring of sub -grantees both by paper and on -site has enhanced the quality
of the data being collected as well as making the projects more amenable to
evaluation
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#21 - Urban Enforcement
The disruption of drug trafficking activities in and around 112 hotel/motels in
Denver has been accomplished
It is virtually impossible to say, with any scientific certainty, what would be happening in
Colorado without these projects. It is however, logical to predict some outcomes. For instance,
without enforcement efforts, more offenders would remain in our communities and more of our
citizens would be victimized. If treatment services were not provided offenders would likely
continue to abuse substances and re -offend, again increasing victimization. Without community
supervision programs, victims may not receive restitution and our correctional facilities would
be more overcrowded. Lack of information and inefficient computer systems impede law
enforcement in their job to combat crime. The technology that has been funded has enhanced
the record -keeping and investigative processes of these agencies.
The accomplishments of these projects have been quantified and can be found in data tables
throughout the report. Narrative descriptions of the accomplishments are also included.
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INTRODUCTION
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Program Priorities
As described in Colorado's Strategy, there are many unique aspects of Colorado that make the
drug and violent crime problem difficult to deal with. These unique features prevented the
state Drug Control Board from basing funding priorities upon identified state wide needs.
Rather, needs were determined according to the requests received from the many diverse
regions of the state. The Board then established a list, based upon the 21 priority areas
outlined by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which prioritized the areas they felt deserved the
focus of the Drug Control and System Improvement Program (DCSIP) monies coming to
Colorado.
The following is the list the Board agreed upon as their funding priority areas for the 1993
funding cycle. The Board voted to maintain the same priorities for the 1994 cycle:
1. Demand reduction education programs in which law enforcement officers
participate.
2. Programs that provide communities and neighborhoods with assistance in
preventing and controlling crime, including special programs that address the
problems of crimes committed against the elderly and special programs for rural
jurisdictions.
3. Programs which identify and meet the treatment needs of adult and juvenile
drug -dependent and alcohol -dependent offenders.
4. Multi -jurisdictional task force programs that integrate drug law enforcement
agencies and prosecutors for the purpose of enhancing interagency coordination
and intelligence and facilitating multi jurisdictional investigations.
5. Programs to improve drug control technology and case processing such as
pretrial drug testing programs; programs that identify, assess and refer offenders
to treatment; programs that monitor non -incarcerated offenders; programs that
improve the flow of information, or enhance automated information on drug -
related offenders; programs that expedite case processing.
6. Programs designed to provide additional public correctional resources and
improve the corrections system, including treatment in prisons and jails,
intensive supervision programs and long-range corrections and sentencing
strategies.
7. Improving the criminal and juvenile justice system's response to domestic
and family violence, including spouse abuse, child abuse and abuse of the
elderly.
8. Providing alternatives to prevent detention, jail and prison for persons who
pose no danger to the community.
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9. Improving the operational effectiveness of the court process by expanding
prosecutorial, defender and judicial resources and implementing court delay
reduction programs.
10. Improving the operational effectiveness of law enforcement through the use
of crime analysis techniques, street sales enforcement, schoolyard violator
programs, gang -related and low-income housing drug control programs.
11. Criminal justice information systems to assist law enforcement, prosecution,
courts and corrections organizations (including automated fingerprint
identification systems).
The Strategy
The foundation of the State Drug and Violent Crime Control Strategy is the coordination of
efforts by state and local agencies to reduce the level of violent crime and drug use and
trafficking in Colorado. These efforts include (1) sharing information and knowledge of
innovative programs that have been piloted and found to be effective; (2) coordinating efforts
to train and educate criminal justice practitioners, line staff, executives and policy -makers in
the areas of violent crime and drug control efforts and programs; and (3) coordinating and
enhancing information used to investigate, arrest, prosecute, sentence and habilitate drug -related
and violent offenders. Each of these elements is essential for developing a system -wide
capability to address the drug and violent crime problems in the state.
Below is a list of goals and objectives for implementing the 1994 State Drug and Violent
Crime Control Strategy along with the funded programs implemented to address each of them:
Goal 1: To enhance technical expertise and capability in demand reduction, drug
detection, interdiction, apprehension, prosecution, and rehabilitation within
the criminal justice system. Training is an essential component of program
development, and the Colorado Drug Control and System Improvement Program
Advisory Board believes training to be critical to the support of violent and drug
crime control activities.
Objective 1: Support drug recognition expert training and Drug Alcohol Recognition Training
(DART) for criminal justice practitioners and staff throughout the state.
DART was not requested or made available during this reporting period.
Objective 2: Support training for drug and violent crime law enforcement for law
enforcement officers, including street officers, undercover officers, detectives,
supervisors, executives, probation officers, and parole officers.
Most of the program areas have included training expenses in their budgets. Law
enforcement officers have attended a variety of local investigative training seminars,
28CFR Part 23 training, and elder abuse training. Narcotics officers have attended the
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Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) basic narcotic enforcement school and task
force commanders training presented by the Institute on Intergovernmental Research
(IIR).
Probation Officers are trained through the Metropolitan Female Offender project,
learning the special needs of female offenders as well as how to supervise the substance
abuser. These probation officers return to their local Probation Department to serve as
an expert in these areas, providing support to other probation officers in their office.
Objective 3: Support officer training in the use of surveillance equipment and evidentiary and
privacy laws.
Training in the use of surveillance equipment was not requested or provided in this
reporting period. Prosecutors assigned to task forces however, have attended training
in an effort to become more effective in the criminal prosecution of narcotics -related
investigations and the seizure and forfeiture of assets as a result of grant funds.
Objective 4: Support prosecutor training in financial investigations, vertical prosecution,
career criminal prosecution and court delay reduction.
As stated above, prosecutors have attended training in order to become more effective
in the criminal prosecution of narcotics -related investigations and the seizure and
forfeiture of assets.
The Denver Drug Court has been established in order to implement a more effective
and efficient processing of drug offenders.
Objective 5: Cooperate with the state Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD) to support
state -level treatment practitioner training in the provision of services to the
criminal justice client.
The DCSIP contributed funds to ADAD's annual training conference; reaching 588
participants.
All of the treatment projects are required to become ADAD licensed or use certified
counselors, whichever is appropriate. Every case management project is also required
to utilize treatment services provided by ADAD licensed programs whenever practical.
Objective 6: Support the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) ability to provide
narcotics investigation field support and training to law enforcement officers
throughout the state, with an emphasis on rural jurisdictions.
The DCSIP has facilitated a cooperative relationship between local law enforcement
agencies and the CBI by providing training and technical assistance to the local
agencies. The CBI has been instrumental in offering technical support for computer
hardware, particularly for rural jurisdictions, as well as networking capabilities for
narcotic units.
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Objective 7: Demand reduction/awareness training for law enforcement, prosecutors, public
defenders, and court and corrections officials.
Colorado has established the state Drug Awareness and Resistance Education (DARE)
Training Center where 65 officers have become certified to teach DARE. A variety of
other awareness and training activities have taken place including, but not limited to,
the Red Ribbon Campaign; parenting skills training; alternative activities for youth and
their parents; and contacting parents of students who possess or use alcohol or drugs.
A total of 25 crime prevention projects were funded.
Goal 2: To promote community -based approaches to demand reduction and drug
and violent crime prevention involving all levels of criminal justice
representatives, practitioners, and citizens. Community partnerships bring
together law enforcement, schools, businesses, service organizations, health
providers, and others to coordinate local drug education and crime prevention
efforts.
Objective 1: Support community -based drug and violent crime prevention programs.
All 25 of the projects in program purpose area 4, community crime prevention, fulfill
this objective. Many local organizations including, law enforcement, other criminal
justice agencies, schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, and service providers,
including health care providers have coordinated their efforts to combat crime. A few
examples of these projects include the following: law enforcement and the Young Mens
Christian Association (YMCA) have worked together to provide secure alternative
activities for youth in high crime areas. A senior community center has offered space
to law enforcement to run a storefront crime prevention operation. Senior citizens
served by this project have made handmade quilts to give to victims of crimes. Over
100 quilts have been given to victims. Local businesses and citizens have donated
materials for seniors to use to make quilts. They have also donated security hardware
to those seniors in need.
Objective 2: Support community programs for prevention/demand reduction, such as Drug
and Alcohol Resistance Education (DARE), Law Related Education (LRE),
"Here's Looking at You 2000," and School Resource Officer.
Seven local DARE projects were funded. The State DARE project, including the State
DARE Training Center was funded. Two school resource officer projects were funded,
including components of LRE and Project Prince.
Objective 3: Support technical assistance for community and neighborhood crime prevention
activities.
The Aggression Replacement Training, a training for trainers project, was funded by
the DCSIP. Participants learned how to teach youth skills they can use to modify their
violent behavior. These skills focus on pro -social skill building, anger control, and
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moral reasoning. Each of the 70 trainees will then provide three training sessions to
their own staff who will implement the program with youth.
Technical assistance was also available by frequently providing information regarding
existing programs within a community or in another area of the state to projects that are
experiencing similar problems and communities that have identified similar risk factors.
This sharing of information is intended to reduce duplication of efforts and increase the
ease in which a community can implement crime prevention activities.
Goal 3: Identify and refer non -institutionalized adult and juvenile substance -using
offenders to appropriate community -based treatment. Recent findings
indicate that matching individual needs to treatment intensity is the most
effective way to treat substance -involved offenders.
Objective 1: Support projects, using case management and monitoring that includes
evaluation and referral, to address treatment needs of offenders.
The Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) model and the Metropolitan
Female Offender project, supported in several areas throughout the state, have
been the most direct routes to meeting this objective. TASC has been used for
both juveniles and adults, including parolees.
The Standardized Substance Abuse Assessment project has conducted a great
deal of ground work that will later enable each player in the criminal justice
system to assess and refer offenders to treatment, using five standardized and
empirically tested instruments. These instruments have been field tested in 5
main sites, servicing over 200 offenders. All other judicial districts in the state
have implemented four of the five assessment instruments. Over 600 criminal
justice practitioners were trained on the use and interpretation of the assessment
instruments, relapse prevention, motivational interviewing, intermediate
sanctions, and program evaluation techniques.
The Serious Habitual Offender Directed Intervention (SHODI) project has
conducted intensive reviews of repeat felony juvenile offenders, ensuring that
they are placed in appropriate treatment services as well as receiving other
necessary case management services. The reviews have been conducted by all
the significant players in the system, including probation, law enforcement,
social services, school, and other service providers. While 42 SHODI profiles
were generated and reviewed, a total of 91 "active" SHODIs and over 795
SHODI "candidates" were identified and entered into the database. Information
on over 1573 juvenile arrests was analyzed and selected information on each
arrest was added to the database.
Objective 2: Support collaborative projects that coordinate community resources to
rehabilitate and supervise offenders, strengthen family systems, and address
related family issues.
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The SHODI project described above, meets this objective also.
The Parenting as Prevention project has focused on the strengthening of family
systems and other related family issues through the parenting skills training they
provide as well as other substance abuse awareness activities that they support.
Over 300 phone calls requesting parenting information have been answered;
technical assistance has been provided over 250 times in 5 targeted communities;
one housing project received 238 counseling, advocacy, and resource
development sessions - reaching 65 families; 1781 contacts were made with
children of a housing development; 305 children of a housing development
attended a weekly summer program; 15,360 resource books were distributed
throughout Colorado; and quarterly newsletters for parenting skills workshop
leaders were distributed, reaching over 10,000 people.
Many of the community -based crime prevention projects identified above have
also addressed family related issues through the services they provide to youth
and their parents.
Goal 4: To have all law enforcement jurisdictions in the state represented by multi -
jurisdictional task forces. Evaluations of federally funded multi jurisdictional
task forces in Colorado (Pullen and Mande, 1991; 1992) document their success
in arresting and assisting in the prosecution of drug and violent offenders in
Colorado. The task force model also increases law enforcement's ability to
share resources and information, both of which are critical to the successful
investigation and apprehension of drug and violent offenders.
Objective I: Support the efforts of local units of government to develop multi jurisdictional
task force programs.
Out of 63 counties throughout the state, 24 have established and implemented
multi jurisdictional task forces.
Objective 2: Provide technical assistance to new and inexperienced multi jurisdictional task
forces.
Technical assistance was provided to 5 law enforcement agencies in Garfield
County. These agencies have developed a county -wide task force that will begin
operations in October, 1994.
Existing task forces have received technical assistance on a regular basis. They
have received training on federal regulations (28 CFR Part 23) regarding
criminal intelligence systems as well as networking these systems. They have
also frequently been referred to one another as they experience similar problems.
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Goal 5: Enhance institutional corrections -oriented treatment. Appropriate and sound
treatment for substance -abuse involved offenders who are in residential
correctional settings is essential to the successful reintegration of offenders into
free society.
Objective 1: Support state and county detention facilities that are dispensing treatment
services, including urine monitoring, to adult and juvenile substance -involved
offenders.
One project has implemented a therapeutic community model at a county jail in
order to provide substance abuse, anger control and other treatment services as
well as transition services including relapse prevention skills and job and/or
educational opportunities. Over 400 one hour classes addressing these issues
were attended by inmates. An average of 56 inmates participated in treatment
at a given time. Inmates participated in over 240 hours of community meetings
designed to address communal living issues.
Objective 2: Support alternatives to incarceration programs for low -risk, substance -involved
offenders, such as intensive supervision and electronic monitoring, that include
urine screening.
Two TASC projects provide alternatives to incarceration for offenders. These
case management projects include an early assessment, treatment, and
monitoring of low -risk offenders. In addition to TASC, the Juvenile
Restitution/Substance Abuse Treatment project also provides an alternative to
incarceration for juvenile offenders. The case management efforts of this project
focus on substance abuse treatment, placement of juveniles in jobs, and payment
of restitution.
Objective 3: Support a range of treatment options for high -risk offenders, such as therapeutic
communities for seriously addicted offenders, and intensive treatment programs
for sex offenders.
Two therapeutic communities (TC) have been implemented for adults. One,
known as the Haven, is a residential program for female offenders and their
infant children. The female clients represent all spectrums of the criminal justice
system from probation to transition. More than 85 women were admitted to the
Haven and assessments were completed on more than 43 women. An average
of 37 women and 22 children participated in treatment.
The second project is for male substance abusers and/or sexual offenders. It is
located in the Department of Corrections (DOC). The average population of the
TC has been 56 participants, typically represented by half sex offenders and half
substance abusers.
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Goal 6: Enhance correctional -related planning and evaluation projects. Evaluation
results and sound planning are necessary components of any project designed to
develop rational public policy. In these times of limited resources for all state -
governed programs, it is particularly important that our public policies be
reasonable and, to the greatest extent possible, also be data -based.
Objective 1: Support the Colorado Criminal Justice Commission's (CJC) efforts to collect and
analyze data to fulfill its statutory obligation to determine the impacts of public
policy options, in order to make policy and legislative recommendations to the
Colorado General Assembly.
The ORS, with support from the DCSIP, conducts the following activities which
are supportive to the CJC: 1)Generate prison population projections; 2)Assist
the Colorado Legislative Council to determine long-term impact of sentencing
proposals; 3)Monitor changes in the composition of the prison population; and
4)Monitor Parole Board decisions.
Objective 2: Support evaluation efforts to determine the effectiveness and impact of programs
supported by Federal Anti -Drug funds.
One full-time staff member, a part-time staff member and three temporary
employees have conducted on -site visits to 12 of the funded projects. Project
descriptions are currently being drafted as a result of the site visits, providing
for an informal evaluation. Evaluation efforts have also occurred on a quarterly
basis through the review of quarterly and final data/narrative reports.
Goal 7: Improve criminal and juvenile justice system response to offenders and
victims of domestic and family violence.
Objective 1: Support, in conjunction with the Victims Assistance and Law Enforcement
(VALE) boards, technical assistance and training to state and local domestic
abuse victims programs.
The DCSIP provides administrative and limited financial support to the Victims
Division within the DCJ. The Victims Division supports the VALE boards and
provides programmatic funding for training and domestic abuse victims
programs.
Objective 2: Support the training of law enforcement officers in the identification,
investigation, and preparation of domestic and family violence cases.
The DCSIP provides administrative and limited financial support to the Victims
Division within the DCJ. The Victims Division provides programmatic funding
for training of law enforcement officers as it relates to domestic violence.
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Goal 8: Improve pretrial monitoring of drug use by arrestees released on bond. The
ability to monitor suspects while on bond could lead to a decrease in the use of
costly pretrial detention.
Objective 1: Support pretrial drug screening and urine monitoring projects.
The 7 case management projects discussed above have included a urine
monitoring component.
Pre-trial drug screening projects were not funded, due to the lack of requests for
such projects.
Objective 2: Support the enhancement of skills to monitor and detect drug use by offenders
who are under case management.
Training in the area of drug use detection and monitoring have not been
requested or provided.
Goal 9: Encourage programs that expedite the processing and sentencing of felony
drug and violent crime cases. Expeditious case processing of special high -risk
offenders decreases costly pretrial detention and strengthens the probability that
these offenders will face clear and immediate consequences as well as the
treatment they need to reduce the likelihood of drug use relapse and recidivism.
Objective I: Support differentiated case management programs that identify cases for fast -
tracking based on severity, service needs, and case complexity.
The Denver Drug Court has been established to expedite a more effective
response from the criminal justice system in terms of drug offenders. Clear and
immediate punishment is more feasible in this setting. It also allows for the
efficient tracking of offenders' status in treatment. Violations of treatment
conditions results in immediate consequences such as increased testing,
treatment, and/or incarceration.
SHODI, as discussed above, has provided a differentiated case management
program by involving many significant players (including probation, law
enforcement, social services, school, and other service providers) in the
supervision of serious juvenile offenders. These offenders have received more
intense supervision because of the severity of their criminal behavior and needs.
Other SHODI projects are under development with non-federal funds.
Goal 10: Improve the criminal justice system's coordination of automated drug and
violent crime data. The status of the drug and violent crime problem cannot
be accurately assessed without the availability of complete and accurate data that
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documents the activities of offenders and the response of the criminal justice
system to offenders.
Objective 1: Support the enhancement of complete and accurate automated offender related
data systems.
Five projects were funded under the improved enforcement program purpose
area. All of these involved the development or enhancement of automated
offender data systems.
The information system projects in purpose area 15b also contributed to the
enhancement of offender identification systems. The tracking of offenders'
criminal history, conditions of sentences, and treatment received has been
particularly useful. Some systems have provided for the basic hook-up to the
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) through the Colorado Crime
Information Center (CCIC) while others were provided Automated Fingerprint
Information Systems (AFIS) and the development of Colorado's own DNA
analysis lab.
The Standardized Substance Abuse Assessment project is developing a statewide
network to provide Probation, Community Corrections, and the DOC, access to
assessment data of offenders. Rather than duplicating the entire assessment
process each time an offender re-enters the system or enters another component
of it, data can be pulled on a previously completed assessment. Each relevant
criminal justice agency will have access to this information.
Objective 2: Support law enforcement efforts to improve the quality and utility of case
intelligence files.
Nine task forces and other enforcement projects have been provided funds to
purchase the hardware and software necessary to improve the quality and utility
of case intelligence files. All of these projects have been instructed to identify
the equipment necessary to access the Statewide Narcotic and Gang (SNAG)
database in order to ensure appropriate entries into the system. Funding for this
equipment has been provided. Projects with federally funded intelligence systems
are required to maintain compliance in 28CFR Part 23.
Goal 11: Improve the operational effectiveness of law enforcement. Developing law
enforcement's capacity and skills in case investigation and development will
facilitate more effective use of limited resources.
Objective 1: Support projects designed to focus enforcement on narcotics -related and violent
crime investigations, with an emphasis on community relations and participation.
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All of the task forces, urban enforcement, and improved enforcement projects
(a total of 21 projects) have contributed to narcotics -related and violent crime
investigations. These projects have become increasingly more involved in
building community relations and participation. Task force staff have trained
hotel/motel and low income housing managers on the common characteristics
of drug offenders. Task forces have become known in the community as the
single point of contact for narcotics -related information. Law enforcement and
schools have established working relationships, placing school resource officers
on school grounds. Many law enforcement officers, including narcotics
investigators, have become active in the education of community members on
the abuses of substances. Community policing efforts have emphasized the need
for community organizations and members to become more involved in
developing and implementing the resolution to drug and violent crimes.
Objective 2: Support projects whose primary goal is to strengthen urban enforcement and
prosecution efforts targeted at street drug sales and violent crime.
Approximately 5 of the task forces focus on urban enforcement and prosecution
efforts related to drug sales and violent crime. One enforcement project targets
drug distribution in and around Denver hotels and motels. Three additional
projects strengthen enforcement and prosecution efforts through improved
information systems in urban areas.
Objective 3: Support projects that strengthen enforcement and prosecution targeting career
criminals, high -rate property offenders, drug offenders, and violent criminals.
All the task forces target drug offenders covering the spectrum of offenders from
the street level dealer to the organized gang. Violent crime has also been
targeted as an attendant crime to narcotic -related offenses.
Task forces have been encouraged to establish a relationship with their local
prosecutor in order to develop an expert prosecutor in the field of narcotics and
asset forfeitures. Ideally, the task forces are able to have the same prosecutor(s)
assigned to their cases rather than rotating attorney's through that position.
Objective 4: Support projects that target low-income housing drug and violent crime control.
Several of the task forces have targeted low-income housing areas that are
experiencing drug and violent crime. Their efforts have included training
housing managers on the common characteristics of drug offenders as well as
collaborating with local authorities and the Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) to evict drug offenders. Some housing developments have offered empty
apartments to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in order to
conduct their investigations.
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Summary of Program Coordination Efforts and Activities
The Division of Criminal Justice coordinates funding of programs with other state agencies
receiving federal funds for drug abuse education, prevention, treatment and other relevant
activities in several ways.
The DCSIP provided some funding for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division's (ADAD)
annual training conference.
The Governor's Office ensures coordination of efforts through its organization, Communities
for a Drug Free Colorado (CDFC). CDFC has worked with over 100 community teams that
coordinated comprehensive efforts to diminish the gaps in prevention, intervention, treatment
and after -care services that are delivered at the state and local levels.'
The CDFC teams are a mix of representatives of vital segments of each community. Law
enforcement agencies and personnel, elected officials, business people, service providers,
religious organizations, parents, youth, teachers, school administrators, and many others have
been brought together to form these CDFC teams throughout the state. Each of the teams has
affected substance abuse and the associated problems to varying degrees of success; law
enforcement's role has been critical. Law enforcement agencies and personnel, and the other
members of CDFC teams, have experienced coordinated goal setting and resource allocation,
which has brought a more focused direction in locally delivered services and improved
cohesiveness between agencies and individuals. Also, the collaboration has explicitly shown
how each individual's and agencies' efforts fit into the concept of providing a continuum of
substance abuse services and a consistent community -wide message.
These efforts are coordinated with local projects (such as Neighbor to Neighbor) that are
funded through the DCSIP. Operating parallel to CDFC is the Governor's Community
Partnership project. The focus of this project is to organize neighborhoods in order to prevent
youth violence and create safe neighborhoods.
The Governor's Office and DCSIP have also coordinated efforts to fund community teams to
develop comprehensive plans for local family centers. These centers provide comprehensive,
intensive, integrated and community based services at a single point of entry to families in
communities at -risk. "Communities at -risk" are defined as those communities in which there
is a preponderance of poverty, unemployment or working poor, substance abuse, crime, school -
dropout, teen pregnancy and parenthood or other at -risk conditions. They are involved in
community organizing activities, parent education, support groups, individual case management,
community service work for offenders, and alternative activities for youth.
The Family Centers in Colorado receive both state and federal funding. The administration of
the Family Centers initiated in the Governor's Office has moved to the Department of Social
'These funds come from the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act through the Colorado State
Department of Education.
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Services. Eight Family Centers are currently operating while 13 more communities have been
invited to become part of the Family Center Initiative. Eight of these communities will be
starting centers in late 1994 to early 1995. Five of these will be eligible to apply for
implementation in one year.
The Advisory Board to the Drug Control and System Improvement Program (DCSIP)
represents several other state recipients of federal funds. Those agencies include the Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD), Division of Youth Services (DYS), Judicial Department,
Department of Corrections (DOC), Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and CDFC. The
U.S. Attorney's Office is also represented by a non -voting member. Through their
representation on the Advisory Board, these agencies are able to inform others of their efforts
and coordinate activities relating to drug abuse education, prevention, treatment and other
relevant activities. For instance, DCSIP and CDFC coordinate efforts, including funding, of
DARE projects. The U.S. Attorney's Office representative is also a member of the Law
Enforcement Coordinating Council, ensuring that coordination with this entity also exists.
When a local agency applies for grant funds from the DCSIP, they are required to describe
their community collaboration efforts. They are also required to identify any other grant funds
they receive in order to facilitate the collaboration of funding sources. To further these efforts,
the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is given applications to review to ensure that
efforts are not being duplicated, to offer support and coordination of efforts when appropriate,
and to lend their expertise in evaluating the strategy of the proposed project.
Denver has been identified by the Attorney General as a community targeted for the
implementation of Pulling American Communities Together (PACT). This is a collaborative
effort between federal, state, and local agencies designed to empower communities to fight
crime. At the federal level the following agencies are represented: Department of Education
(DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Department of Justice (DOJ),
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Labor (DOL), and the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Locally, representatives from a variety of
agencies are involved including law enforcement, courts, prosecution, indigent defense,
corrections, education, social services, treatment and health, recreation, community partnerships,
victims groups, and business foundations.
The multi jurisdictional task forces located throughout the state, work on a regular basis with
local, state, and federal agencies. They share resources including personnel, equipment, and
intelligence in order to enhance drug and violent crime related investigations. In order to
further enhance coordinated efforts the DCSIP has facilitated trainings and meetings for all task
forces. In April 1994, the DCSIP brought in the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR)
to provide training on 28CFR Part 23. This training assisted DCSIP staff and task force staff
regarding compliance with federal regulations as they relate to criminal intelligence systems.
Additional meetings between task forces and the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) have
been held. These meetings have focused on the development of computer networking systems.
Task forces have been encouraged to develop criminal intelligence systems that can be
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accessed by other relevant law enforcement entities without the need for an investigator to
respond to each request for intelligence information. The CBI has provided some of the support
necessary for the physical requirements of such a networking system. The system would allow,
for example, a task force to authorize another task force automated access to their computerized
intelligence files. The task force that is given authorization will be able to call up another task
force's intelligence files through the use of a modem. The computer ensures that the caller has
authorization to review the files and, once established, calls the task force back, providing
access to the information.
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