§ 19-2.5-1408 — Victim-offender conferences - pilot program

Colorado § 19-2.5-1408

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 19: Children's
• Art.: The Colorado Juvenile Justice System

Text

The division of
youth services is authorized to establish a pilot program, when funds become
available, in its facilities to facilitate victim-initiated victim-offender conferences
whereby a victim of a crime may request a facilitated conference with the juvenile
who committed the crime, if the juvenile is in the custody of the division of youth
services. After such a pilot program is established, the division of youth services
may establish policies and procedures for the victim-offender conferences using
volunteers to facilitate the conferences. The volunteers shall complete the division
of youth services' volunteer and facility-specific training programs and complete
high-risk victim-offender training and victim-advocacy training. The division of
youth services shall not compensate or reimburse a volunteer or victim for any
expenses. If a pilot program is available, and subsequent to the victim's or the
victim representative's request, the division of youth services shall arrange a
conference only after determining that the conference would be safe and only if the
juvenile agrees to participate. The purposes of the conference are to enable the
victim to meet the juvenile, to obtain answers to questions only the juvenile can
answer, to assist the victim in healing from the impact of the crime, and to promote
a sense of remorse and acceptance of responsibility by the juvenile that may
contribute to the juvenile's rehabilitation.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 21-059), ch. 136, p. 682, � 2, effective October 1.