Volunteerism in the Juvenile and Adult Criminal Justice System

C.R.S. tit. 17, art. 31

in effect

C.R.S. § 17-31-101 Legislative declaration

17-31-101. Legislative declaration. The general assembly hereby finds it necessary to provide for and encourage the implementation of programs within the state's correctional facilities, the probation division of the judicial department, the parole division within the department of corrections, the division of youth services within the department of human services, and the department of public safety that enable volunteers to effectively assist with the rehabilitation and transition of adult and juvenile offenders. The general assembly encourages the maximum use of volunteers to complement the regular staffs of such adult corrections, parole, probation, and juvenile services divisions and encourages volunteers to participate in existing programs for adult and juvenile offenders in those divisions. The general assembly finds that such volunteers should be allowed, where practical and within the safety and security requirements of the applicable institution or program, to meet with and freely communicate with offenders to assist with the rehabilitation and transition of such offenders, in order to establish support groups and systems outside of the correctional facility.

C.R.S. § 17-31-102 Definitions

17-31-102. Definitions. As used in this article 31, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Approved volunteer organization" means an organization which has screened and trained volunteers for working with adult and juvenile offenders in correctional facilities and in parole and probation programs of the judicial department, the department of corrections, the department of human services, and the department of public safety prior to January 1, 1990, or pursuant to guidelines for training volunteers established by either the executive director of the department of corrections, the executive director of the department of human services, the executive director of the department of public safety, or the chief justice of the supreme court. Such guidelines shall address the issues of liability, supervision, support, and training of volunteers. (2) "Division" means the division or department directing or administering any public or private correctional institution or detention facility in which offenders are housed or treated, any probation program within each judicial district, or any juvenile or adult parole program, including but not limited to, the judicial department, the department of public safety and the division of criminal justice therein, the department of corrections and the division of adult parole therein, and the department of human services and the division of youth services therein. (3) "Institution" means any of the following: (a) A correctional facility, as that term is defined in section 17-1-102 (1.7); (b) A community corrections program, as that term is defined in section 17-27-102 (3); (c) A halfway house, as that term is defined in section 19-2.5-102; (d) A diagnostic and evaluation center, as that term is defined in section 19-2.5-102; (e) A receiving center, as that term is defined in section 19-2.5-102; (f) A diagnostic center, as that term is defined in section 17-40-101 (1.5); (g) Any jail operated by a county or a city and county; (h) A minimum security facility, as that term is defined in section 17-25-101 (2). (4) "Offender" means any person who has been convicted of or who has received a deferred sentence for a felony or misdemeanor who is under the authority of an agency. (5) "Volunteer" means any person who has completed the training from an approved volunteer organization and gives his services without any express or implied promise of remuneration.

C.R.S. § 17-31-103 Volunteers - rehabilitation and transition - programs

17-31-103. Volunteers - rehabilitation and transition - programs. (1) Each division shall facilitate, where practicable, the use of volunteers to assist and participate in the development and implementation of programs for the rehabilitation and transition of and growth of support groups and systems for adult and juvenile offenders in the following institutions and programs: (a) Any correctional facility or county or city and county jail; (b) Any community correctional facility or program operated pursuant to article 27 of this title; (c) The adult parole program of the division of adult parole within the department; (d) The juvenile parole program of the division of youth services within the department of human services; (e) Any intensive supervision program operated by the department or operated by a local government under contract with the department pursuant to section 17-27.5-101; (f) Any work release or education release program pursuant to section 18-1.3-207, C.R.S.; (g) Any intensive supervision probation program, established by the judicial department pursuant to section 18-1.3-208, C.R.S.; (h) Any adjunct probation services program pursuant to section 16-11-214, C.R.S.; (i) The juvenile diversion program established and administered by the division of criminal justice of the department of public safety. (j) (Deleted by amendment, L. 92, p. 2174, § 25, effective June 2, 1992.) (2) Each division may implement programs in addition to those set forth in subsection (1) of this section which utilize volunteers to assist in such division with such division's parole, probation, or other offender rehabilitation functions.

C.R.S. § 17-31-104 Right to visit offenders

17-31-104. Right to visit offenders. (1) A volunteer who has completed minimum training from an approved volunteer organization may visit any offender or offenders to whom such volunteer has been assigned at any institution and in any program utilizing volunteers as set forth in section 17-31-103, subject to reasonable times and for purposes within such guidelines as may be prescribed by the division of adult parole within the department, if such volunteer presents no security risk to such institution or program and has received basic training in volunteer services. Nothing in this section shall restrict the right of a warden of any facility or program from denying access to a facility or program to a volunteer seeking to visit any offender or offenders. (2) The rights set forth and recognized under subsection (1) of this section are subject to the right of any offender to refuse such visitation.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-17.docxFetched: 10/6/2026