Drug Offense Task Force

The Drug Offense Task Force was seated by the Commission in September 2019 and concluded September 2020.

The Drug Offense Task Force was seated by the Commission September 2019 in response to a mandate by the Colorado General Assembly pursuant to Senate Bill 2019-008 (Concerning treatment of individuals with substance abuse disorders who come into contact with the criminal justice system). Based on the statutory mandate, the Commission charged the Task Force to study and make recommendations concerning: a) Alternatives to filing criminal charges against individuals with substance use disorders who have been arrested for drug-related offenses, and b) A process for automatically sealing criminal records for drug offense convictions. The Commission must provide a report by July 1, 2020 with its findings and recommendations to the Judiciary and the Public Health Care and Human Services Committees of the House of Representatives and the Judiciary and the Health and Human Services Committees of the Senate, or any successor committees. Due to COVID-19, the final Commission report was submitted in September 2020.

Note: Additional mandates found in S.B.19-008 have been assigned to the Opioid Investigations Subcommittee.

No further meetings

Date	Time	Location
No further meetings scheduled.	-	-
For information, contact Stephane Waisanen at stephane.waisanen@state.co.us.

Mandates/Timeline

The Drug Offense Task Force materials.
(Minutes of the Subcommittee meetings may be found below under "Previous Meetings.")

MANDATE AND WORK PLAN
Senate Bill 2019 - 008  SB19-008	Mandate To study and make recommendations concerning: a) Alternatives to filing criminal charges against individuals with substance use disorders who have been arrested for drug-related offenses, and b) A process for automatically sealing criminal records for drug offense convictions. The Commission must provide a report by July 1, 2020 with its findings and recommendations to the Judiciary and the Public Health Care and Human Services Committees of the House of Representatives and the Judiciary and the Health and Human Services Committees of the Senate, or any successor committees. Note: Additional mandates found in S.B.19-008 have been assigned to the Opioid Investigations Subcommittee to study and make recommendations concerning: Best practices for investigating unlawful opioid distribution in Colorado, including the creation of black market opioid investigatory entities at the State and local levels.
Proposed Work Plan
	Due to the COVID-19 related suspension of all CCJJ activities (Commission/Task Force/Subcommittee mtgs.), the mandated report will be delayed. The timeline benchmarks of the Task Force may be completed earlier, but must be completed NO LATER THAN the following dates:
Thru March 2020	- Legal/statutory/literature reviews and data analyses, monthly Task Force / Working Group meetings
March 12, 2020	- Working Groups present draft reports/recommendations to Task Force
April 9, 2020	-Working Groups present final draft reports/recommendations to Task Force and Task Force conducts final discussion and vote
April 10, 2020	- Task Force presents preliminary draft report/recommendations to Commission (CCJJ meeting abandoned due to pandemic)
Timeline adjusted from this point due to the pandemic.
August 14, 2020	- Task Force presents preliminary draft report/recommendations to Commission
September 11, 2020	- Task Force presents final draft of report/recommendations to CCJJ and CCJJ conducts final discussion and vote
September 2020	- Staff compile final report including informational memo and related recommendations from Drug Offense Task Force and Opioid Investigations Subcommittee. - Report/recommendations finalized and submitted to the General Assembly.

Task Force Members

To ensure balanced representation on the Drug Offense Task Force, the CCJJ Chair and Vice-Chair employ a template to guide the appointment process. Representative agencies and stakeholders are determined first, followed by the appointment of volunteers to the available positions.

Name	Affiliation
Tom Raynes, Task Force Co-Chair (CCJJ)	Colorado District Attorneys' Council
Megan Ring, Task Force Co-Chair (CCJJ)	Office of the Colorado State Public Defender
Janet Drake (CCJJ)	Attorney General's Office
Andrew Matson (CCJJ)	Colorado CURE
Joe Thome (CCJJ)	Division of Criminal Justice (CCJJ, Ex officio)
Glenn Tapia (CCJJ)	Division of Probation Services, Judicial Branch
Abigail Tucker (CCJJ)	Community Reach Mental Health Center
Chris Andrist	Criminal Justice Information Systems, Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Maureen Cain	Office of the Colorado State Public Defender
Terri Hurst	Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition
David Quirova	Office of the State Court Administrator, Judicial Branch
Jack Regenbogen	Colorado Center on Law & Policy
Audrey Weiss	District Attorney's Office, 1st J. D.*
Adam Zarrin	Governor's Office
TBD	Victim representative
Staff: Stephane Waisanen(stephane.waisanen@state.co.us) (CCJJ) - Commission members * J.D.- Judicial District

Subgroups

The Drug Offense Task Force seated Working Groups* that explored the following topic areas (WG Leaders):

• Diversion Working Group (WG Co-Leaders: Adam Zarrin, Gov's Office & Joe Thome, DCJ)
  (Staff contact: Damien Angel, damien.angel@state.co.us)
  
  Study Groups: The WG identified four topics for further exploration and created four related study groups:
  - Diversion Eligibility Criteria [aka, "Eligibility SG" or "Criteria SG"] (Elaina Shively, Lead)
  - Diversion Process and Referral Authority(Bruce Brown, Lead)
  - Diversion Service Delivery and Screening Tools [aka, "Services SG"] (Abigail Tucker, Lead)
   
• Sealing Working Group(WG Leader: Audrey Weiss, D.A. Office, 1st J.D.)
  (Staff contact: Stephane Waisanen, stephane.waisanen@state.co.us)

*Pursuant to § 24-6-402(2)(a), C.R.S., "All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times."

Materials

The Drug Offense Task Force materials.
(Minutes of the Task Force meetings may be found below under "Previous Meetings.")

MEETING AND OTHER MATERIALS
(displayed in reverse chronological order)


SEPTEMBER 2020 REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

REPORT:
 Drug-Offense Related Mandates - Senate Bill 2019-008 Final Report (Commission)


SEPTEMBER 2020 FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS: [As Approved by the Commission]
 Recommendation FY20-DR #01: Create and Implement a Process for Automatically Sealing Criminal Conviction Records for Drug Offenses [Budgetary]

 Recommendation FY20-DR #02. Support a Public Health Model of Deflection [Policy].


FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Presentation to Diversion Working Group (Jac Charlier, PTACC*) 
 PRESENTATION: PTACC - Deflection and Pre-Arrest Diversion
 HANDOUT: PTACC - Guiding Principles to Guide Behavioral Health Practice in Pre-Arrest Diversion Programs
 HANDOUT: PTACC - Core Measures for Five Pre-Arrest Diversion Frameworks
 HANDOUT: PTACC- R Street Policy Study - Statewide Policies Relating to Pre-Arrest Diversion and Crisis Response
* Police, Treatment and Community Collaborative [ptaccollaborative.org]


JANUARY 9, 2020

 HANDOUT: Memo - Referral Process and Authority (Bruce Brown, D.A. Office, 5th J.D.)
 HANDOUT: Eligibility Criteria-Pilot Program (Matt Karzen, D.A. Office, 14th J.D.)


DECEMBER 12, 2019

Study Group Reports (Diversion Working Group)
 PRESENTATION: Eligibility Criteria Study Group Report (Elaina Shively, D.A. Office, 20th J.D.)
 PRESENTATION: Process & Referral Study Group Report (Bruce Brown,D.A. Office, 5th J.D.)
 LINK: ASSIST Screening Tool (World Health Organization)


NOVEMBER 7, 2019

Proposed Probation Case Management Typologies (Glenn Tapia, Div. of Probation Services)
 HANDOUT: Proposed Probation Typologies
 PRESENTATION: Proposed Probation Typologies

"Services" Study Group documents (of the Diversion Working Group)
 HANDOUT: Substance Use Disorder Investments By Region (Colorado Office of Behavioral Health/CDHS)
 HANDOUT: Bridging the Divide: Addressing Colorado's Substance Use Disorder Needs (Feb. 2017, Keystone Policy Center)
 HANDOUT: Harm Reduction Locations
 HANDOUT: Substance Use Disorder Screening Tools
 LINK: SBIRT in Colorado (see also, the SBIRT Advisory Council)
 LINK: SAMHSA: SBIRT Program
(SBIRT = Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment)


SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
 PRESENTATION: CCJJ Task Force 101 [ppt] (Kim English, DCJ)
 PRESENTATION: DOTF: Background - Record Sealing Eligibility (Maureen Cain, State Public Defender's Office)

 

Previous Meetings

See the CCJJ Calendar for information on all scheduled meetings of the Commission and its committees.

Date	Time	Location	Minutes
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, August 13, 2020	1:30pm-4:00pm	Virtual Meeting
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Friday, July 24, 2020	10:00am - Noon	Virtual Meeting
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, July 9, 2020	1:30pm-4:00pm	Virtual Meeting (Quorum failure)
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, June 11, 2020	SUSPENDED
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, June 11, 2020	SUSPENDED
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, May 7, 2020	SUSPENDED
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, May 7, 2020	SUSPENDED
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, April 9, 2020	CANCELED
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, April 9, 2020	HIATUS
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, March 12, 2020	3:00pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, March 12, 2020	HIATUS
FINAL MEETING! DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, March 12, 2020	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, February 13, 2020	3:00pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, February 13, 2020	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, February 13, 2020	12:30pm-3:00pm	1st Floor, CATPA Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, January 9, 2020	3:00pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, January 9, 2020	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, January 9, 2020	12:30pm-3:00pm	1st Floor, CATPA Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, December 12, 2019	3:00pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, December 12, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, December 12, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor "Fishbowl" Conference Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, November 7, 2019	3:00pm-4:00pm	4th Floor Training Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 700 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, November 7, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	4th Floor Training Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 700 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, November 7, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor CICJIS Conference Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 700 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, October 10, 2019	3:00pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Diversion Working Group Thursday, October 10, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
DOTF: Sealing Working Group Thursday, October 10, 2019	12:30pm-3:00pm	1st Floor, CATPA Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215
Drug Offense Task Force Thursday, September 12, 2019	1:30pm-4:00pm	2nd Floor Meeting Room Colorado Department of Public Safety 710 Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80215