Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis signs bill to increase number of young people Colorado can hold in pre-trial detention
Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill into law that will increase the number of young people Colorado can hold in pre-trial detention facilities.
Current law allows the state to detain up to 215 teens at any one time. House Bill 1146 increases that number to 254 in the next fiscal year.
In subsequent years, a formula will determine the maximum bed count, based on the average daily population. The bill also removes the most serious type of felony charges from counting toward the cap, and creates 39 emergency beds that wouldn’t count toward the total bed cap.
The Colorado District Attorneys’ Council spearheaded the bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, and Dan Woog, R-Frederick, and Sens. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, and Judy Amabile, D-Boulder.
The DA group originally wanted to bump the number of detained youth up to 324, a hike that received forceful pushback from juvenile justice advocates.
Prosecutors argued the state doesn’t have enough beds to house violent youth offenders awaiting trial.
Since fiscal year 2021, detained youth admissions with violent charges have increased by 49%, and admissions for homicide or manslaughter have risen by 80%, state figures show. As a result, prosecutors say, authorities have been forced to release teens who might otherwise be deemed a danger to the public to free up spots for someone else.
Critics countered that the lack of safety in these facilities — highlighted by The Denver Post in March — proves the state should not be dramatically increasing the bed count.
The legislation also includes a body-worn camera pilot program for juvenile detention and commitment staff. The test program in one youth detention facility and one commitment facility requires every staff member who is responsible for the direct supervision of youth to wear a body camera while interacting with them.
The program will be implemented from January 2026 through December 2028. The Colorado Department of Human Services will then recommend whether to continue and expand the program, or eliminate it.
The body-camera addition comes after a Post investigation found widespread allegations of excessive force by staff in the state’s 14 juvenile detention facilities. A year’s worth of internal incident reports reviewed by The Post showed teens suffered broken bones, sustained concussions and overdosed on drugs in these secure centers.
Colorado’s child protection ombudsman, tasked with investigating child safety concerns, has been calling since last year for the state to add body-worn cameras for staff in juvenile detention. Currently, facilities are equipped with video but no audio, making it impossible for investigators to determine whether verbal altercations contributed to excessive force or restraint incidents.
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DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado teenager who lost her leg in a shark attack isn’t just walking again; she’s sharing the spotlight with one of her favorite hockey players.
Seventeen-year-old Annabelle Carlson took the runway Sunday at the Colorado Avalanche’s annual charity brunch, an event that raises money for community programs supported by Kroenke Sports Charities. The fundraiser, now in its third decade, is considered one of the team’s most impactful events of the year.
Carlson walked arm-in-arm with Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, drawing applause from a crowd of more than 450 attendees.
Standing tall again has been a long journey for the Colorado high school student. Carlson lost her leg after surviving a shark attack during a family trip to Belize in 2024. Since then, she has undergone multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.
“I think being negative about things like this — it takes such a toll on how you view yourself and how you get through things,” Carlson said. “But I’d rather see everything like, not everything you lose is a loss.”
Carlson has now returned to skiing and hopes to pick back up with playing her favorite sport, lacrosse. But it took a lot of guts and resilience to get to where she is now.
“In my eyes, she’s extraordinary,” Landeskog said. “What she’s gone through at that age, it’s not easy to do.”
The charity event highlights children who have overcome serious medical challenges, pairing them with Avalanche players for a runway walk to spotlight their strength. Players also served brunch and helped auction off team gear and game tickets.
“It was really cool to meet him,” Carlson said of Landeskog. “It’s definitely a flex. Not everyone gets to meet the Avalanche. I’m super lucky and super excited to be here.”
Having gone through some injuries of his own, including damage to his knee, which took him out of play for several seasons, Landeskog said Carlson’s attitude is remarkable.
“She’s young, she’s brave,” he said. “I feel like she’s got a better head on her shoulders than I do, so I feel like I can learn a lot from her as well.”
The team said many players stay in touch with the children and their families long after the event ends, adding that the annual brunch is a day the whole team looks forward to each year.
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