Colorado is a decentralized state, meaning that delinquency services are organized at both the state and local level. 

How is detention organized? 

The Division of Youth Corrections (DYC), located in the Department of Human Services, provides secure detention services to juveniles.  Under Senate Bill 03-286, DYC's secure detention capacity is limited to 479 beds.  Senate Bill 94 supports new community-based alternatives to detention by funding initiatives that aim to decrease reliance on secure settings for juvenile offenders.

Pursuant to the Colorado Children’s Code [(19-1-103(44) C.R.S.], the goal of Diversion is to prevent further involvement of the youth in the formal legal system.

The statutory rights of victims are found in The State of Colorado’s Victim Rights Act.

In Colorado, probation (except municipal probation) is part of the Judicial Department and is administered by probation officers in 22 judicial districts. The Division of Probation Services (DPS), Office of the State Court Administrator, Colorado Judicial Branch, provides coordinated support services to probation departments.

Juvenile probation officers must have bachelor's degrees in Colorado.

Juveniles are committed to the Division of Youth Corrections (DYC). Statute requires specific dispositions for special offenders (sections 19-2-907 through 19-2-919).

Commitment release decisions are made in several ways in Colorado. The release date can be determined by court order through mandatory sentencing; in this case, the juvenile cannot be released until the sentence is completed. Also, discretionary release is possible, in which DYC uses a set of behavioral criteria to determine if a juvenile should be released.

Juvenile parole officers from the Division of Youth Corrections supervise juveniles in aftercare (called parole in Colorado). By law, all juveniles released from commitment must have a period of mandatory services and supervision to aid in their transition back into the community.

Colorado’s purpose clause is rooted in Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) philosophies. 

Lower Age: 10

Upper Age: 17

Extended Age of Delinquency Jurisdiction: The juvenile court retains jurisdiction until the complet

Effective June 2006, every youth committed to the Division is assessed for actuarial risk using the Colorado Juvenile Risk Assessment Instrument (CJRA), a fourth generation risk instrument development by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP).