House Judiciary

Sa. It. Miss Culver, please call the roll. Representatives Bacon. Excused. Deferred. Here. Espinosa. Excused. Flannel. Here. Garcia. Kelsey. Here. Slaw. Here. Soper. Here. Zokai. Excused. Carter. Present. Mr. Chair. Here. Okay, committee members, we are going to hear two bills today. I am presenting the first bill, so I'm going to pass the gavel to the vice chair. Chair Mayberry, when you are ready. Representative Stewart thank you, Mr. Chair. Members of the Judiciary Committee, it's a pleasure to be here today. It's my first time in front of Judiciary, so I know you'll go easy on me. Colorado has seen a disturbing pattern of sexual misconduct and violence in jails, including sexual harassment, abuse and invasion of privacy for sexual gratification. These abuses show a critical need for reform. Legislative action is necessary to address ongoing failures and oversight, close gaps in the enforcement of federal standards, and uphold the rights of all individuals in custody in the state of Colorado. In 2003, Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act PREA which aimed to reduce sexual violence and improve protections for incarcerated individuals. However, while PREA established important safeguards and processes, inconsistent implementation and enforcement of these standards…