Community Corrections
The Community Corrections unit screens and recommends placement of adult and juvenile offenders diverted from incarceration and monitors offender progress and program compliance. This unit also contracts with private community corrections service providers for residential and non-residential services.
Who Are We?
This unit consists of a Community Corrections Coordinator, an Administrative Specialist, Administrative Coordinator, and the Division Director. The residential (halfway house) and non-residential treatment services of Community Corrections are privatized functions provided by eight community corrections service providers that are under this unit's oversight. We also support two volunteer boards appointed by the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, to provide policy direction and fulfill statutory obligations.
What Is Our Mission?
The program was created by the Colorado Legislature to provide a safe, constructive, and less expensive alternative to state prisons, county jails, and juvenile correctional facilities.
Where Are We Located?
This unit has an office in the Human Services Building at 3500 Illinois Street, Suite 2800, Golden, CO, 80401. The private residential and non-residential community corrections programs are located throughout Jefferson County.
Who Is Our Customer?
We serve a variety of customers, including the citizens of Jefferson County, the Colorado State Legislature, the Sheriff's Office, The Colorado Department of Corrections, Division of Youth Corrections, First Judicial District Attorney's Office, District Courts, and Probation Department, as well as the Jefferson County courts, public and private defense bar, private community corrections service providers, the Jefferson County Corrections Board, Jefferson County Juvenile Review Board, and adult and juvenile offenders and their families.
At any one time, there are approximately 280 adult felony offenders, 15 juvenile offenders, and 2,000 misdemeanor/municipal ordinance violators receiving community corrections services from local providers in Jefferson County.
What Services or Products Do We Provide?
Colorado State law provides for local communities (defined as municipalities and counties) to determine:
- which offenders can safely be placed in the community;
- who can operate a community corrections program;
- under what conditions an offender can participate in the program; and
- the standards by which a service provider can operate a facility.
To accomplish these functions, our unit receives and manages community corrections funds from the state. We select and contract with private vendors for community corrections services. We monitor the operations of these community corrections vendors and audit them on a regular basis for conformity to established state standards. We prepare and present information on offenders referred for community corrections placement to our oversight boards. We record and communicate the boards' decisions on placements to the courts, the Department of Corrections, and the Division of Youth Corrections. The staff maintains contact with referring agencies and placement agencies to monitor transition into placement and conditions during placement for all approved offenders.
How Are Referrals Made?
Adult felony offender referrals may originate by a sentencing judge through our local Probation Department or by the Colorado Department of Corrections through their Community Corrections and Parole Division. These State agencies transmit criminal history and background information on the offenders eligible for possible placement in community corrections. The offender referrals must successfully pass through three levels of screening to be admitted into the program. Potential service providers review the information on every referral to determine if they can be supervised in the community. Those referrals not rejected at this level are reviewed weekly by a screening committee of justice and human services agency personnel to determine those who could benefit and succeed in a community placement. Their recommendations are passed on to the Jefferson County Corrections Board at a monthly public meeting, and they make the final decision on which of those offenders will be acceptable for placement in our community.
Eligible juvenile offenders committed to the Colorado Department of Human Services may be referred to our staff through the transmittal of personal and criminal history information by the case managers of the Division of Youth Corrections prior to the termination of their sentence or parole release. Final acceptance or rejection for community placement is determined by a board of justice and human service agency personnel that occurs at a public meeting on the first and third Thursday of each month.
Board Policies (pdf files)
Victim/Offender Presentations
How are we contacted?
Vivian Simpson, Community Corrections Coordinator
3500 Illinois Street, Suite 2800
Golden, Colorado 80401
303.271.4842 (voice)
303.271.4849 (fax)
Email: vsimpson@jeffco.us
2010 Accomplishments
- Received $3,008,495 in state funds to support alternatives to prison sentences
- Generated $5,693,678 in prison bed-space savings
- Generated $6,097,022 in jail bed savings through electronic monitoring home- detention sentencing alternative
- Generated $15,127,092 in jail bed savings through day reporting sentencing alternative
Last Modified: Mar 7, 2011 10:17 AM
