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Colorado

State Overview - State Summary - State Projects
Available Reports - Sample Data Collection Forms - Available Data - Links

State Overview

Domestic Violence Legislation:	Yes (18-6-800.3)
NIBRS Status:	Certified
Additional Data Elements	Yes
Law Enforcement DV System:	Incident-based
Service Provider DV System:	Summary
Service Provider SA System:	Summary

State Summary

The state's domestic violence legislation does include same-sex relationships. The state is certified by the FBI to submit NIBRS data and additional data elements are collected. Law enforcement agencies submit data to the Colorado Department of Public Safety Bureau of Investigation; these data are then used in the annual state crime report. Approximately 70% of the state's local law enforcement agencies report incident-based data to the state; the other agencies do not report any additional domestic or sexual violence information. The Bureau also maintains the state database of protection orders. Stalking data are not collected but are instead combined with intimidation incidents.

The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault does not provide services nor does it collect any information; rather, the Coalition provides training and services to its member organizations. Like most states, service providers submit data to the agencies that provide funds as part of their grant requirements. In Colorado, the Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services Domestic Violence Program, and Department of Public Health and Environment's Sexual Assault Prevention Program collect data. The Department of Human Services collects aggregate data from the 45 service providers it funds, covering roughly 70% of the local agencies providing domestic violence services. These data are published in an annual report and shared with the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the public upon request.

State Projects

Colorado's Sexual Assault Response Project
The Colorado's Sexual Assault Response Project will close gaps in services to sexual assault victims, primarily in rural Colorado, through the creation of Forensic Exam Best Practice (FEBP) and Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) programs.

Forensic Exam Best Practice Program
The FEBP Program will focus on conducting victim-centered training for local medical professionals on the provision of forensic exams, courtroom testimony, and forensic kit design and processing. All training for this program will be conducted by experts from the respective disciplines.
Sexual Assault Response Team Program
The SART development program will provide resources for local personnel to coordinate SART efforts, as well as working with local communities to provide relevant education and policies regarding SART practices. Additionally, the project will collect data to conduct an evaluation of the FEBP and SART programs to assess their impact on sexual assault victims and the criminal justice system.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program
A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) is a professional registered nurse who has received specialized forensic education in order to provide comprehensive care to adult, adolescent and child victims of sexual assault. A SANE demonstrates clinical competence in the collection of forensic evidence from both victims of violence as well as perpetrators and has the ability to provide expert testimony in a court of law. SANEs work collaboratively with law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates and community agencies.

Colorado Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Education includes 64 hours of classroom and didactic education followed by completion of 90 hours of clinical experience. The clinical experience is structured in adult and pediatric acute and non-acute settings, as well as a judicial component that includes observation of criminal trial proceedings and expert testimony. The education is provided over 6 days (64 classroom hours) and addresses holistic care and appropriate forensic evidence collection from adult, adolescent and child survivors of sexual assault, as well as perpetrators of interpersonal violence. The classroom component is followed by 90 hours of mentored, clinical experience, with a practicing SANE, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) or physician.

Available Reports

General Crime

Colorado Bureau of Investigation. (Annual). Crime in Colorado.
Colorado Department of Corrections. (Annual). Fiscal year statistical report. Colorado State Judicial Department.
Colorado Judicial Branch. (Annual). Annual statistical report.
Office for Victims Programs. (Annual). Colorado victim compensation annual report. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Office of Research and Statistics. (2011). Crime and justice in Colorado 2008-2010.
Office of Research and Statistics. (2010). Colorado Commission Criminal and Juvenile Justice: 2010 Annual Report.
Office of Research and Statistics. (2007). Crime and justice in Colorado 2006. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Office of Research and Statistics. (2005). Crime and justice in Colorado 2004. Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Domestic Violence

Colorado Bureau of Investigation. (Annual). Supplemental domestic violence report. Click on a year and choose Domestic Violence from the supplemental reports.
Colorado Domestic Violence Program. (Annual). Annual report.
DePrince, A. P., Belknap, J., Gover, A., Buckingham, S. Labus, J., Combs, M., Hebenstreit, C., Matlow, R., Mitchell, C., and Pineda, A. (2011). The effectiveness of coordinated outreach in intimate partner violence cases: A randomized, longitudinal design. NCJ 238480. US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2010). 2009 annual report.
Domestic Violence Offender Management Board. (2006). Preliminary report on the findings from the Domestic Violence Offender Management Board Data Collection Project: An analysis of offenders in court-ordered treatment. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board. (2005). Standards for treatment with court ordered domestic violence offenders. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board. (2003). Report to the Judiciary Committees, Senate and House of Representatives. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Uekert, B. K. (2003). La Plata County, Colorado, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201868. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Uekert, B. K. (2003). Process evaluation of the Pueblo Domestic Violence Project. NCJ 201885. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Belknap, J. and Sullivan, C. M. (2002). Longitudinal study of battered women in the system: The victims' and decision-makers' perceptions. NCJ 202946. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Heckert, D. A. and Gondolf, E. W. (2002). Predicting levels of abuse and reassault among batterer program participants. NCJ 195176. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Abrams, M. L., Belknap, J., and Melton, H. C. (2001). When domestic violence kills: The formation and findings of the Denver Metro Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. Project Safeguard.
Tjaden, P. and Thoennes, N. (2001). Stalking: Its role in serious domestic violence cases. NCJ 187446. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Uchida, C. D., Putnam, C. A., Mastrofski, J., Soloman, S., and Dawson, D. (2001). Evaluating a multi-disciplinary response to domestic violence: The DVERT Program in Colorado Springs. NCJ 190231. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Uekert, B. (2000). La Plata County, Colorado, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201868. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Uekert, B. (2000). Process evaluation of the Pueblo domestic violence project: July 1999 -- Pueblo, Colorado. NCJ 201885. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
*Keilitz, S., Efkeman, H. S., and Hannaford, P. L. (1997). Civil protection orders: The benefits and limitations for victims of domestic violence. NCJ 172223. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Berk, R. A., Campbell, A., Klap, R., and Western, B. (1992). A Bayesian analysis of the Colorado Springs spouse abuse experiment. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 83: 170 - 200.
Colorado Springs Police Department. (1988). Colorado Springs spouse assault replication project, final report. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. NCJ 139735.
Black, H., Berk, R., Lily, J., Owenbey, R., and Rikoski, G. (1986). Evaluating alternative police responses to spouse assault in Colorado Springs, CO: An enhanced replication of the Minneapolis experiment, 1987-1989. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

Sexual Assault

Department of Corrections (2011). Sexually Violent Predators Annual Report 2010. Colorado State Judicial Department.
Department of Corrections (2010). Sexually Violent Predators Annual Report 2009. Colorado State Judicial Department.
Department of Corrections (2008). Sexually Violent Predators Annual Report 2007. Colorado State Judicial Department.
Department of Public Health and Environment. (2005). Injury in Colorado: Homicide and assault.
Sex Offender Management Board. (2004). Report on safety issues raised by living arrangements for and location of sex offenders in the community. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Office of Research and Statistics. (2003). Evaluation of Colorado's prison therapeutic community for sex offenders: A report of findings. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
English, K., Jones, L., Pasini-Hill, D., Patrick, D., and Cooley-Towell, S. (2000). The value of polygraph testing in sex offender management. Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. (1999). Sexual assault in Colorado: Results of a 1998 statewide survey.

Stalking

Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N. (2000). The Role of Stalking in Domestic Violence Crime Reports Generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Sample Data Collection Forms

The Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board collects domestic violent offender information using this form:

Client Data Collection Form

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice collects summary information on the number of victims of specific offenses that are served by agencies receiving VOCA funds using this form:

VOCA Assistance Quarterly Statistical and Narrative Report

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice also collects summary information on the number and demographics of victims served by agencies receiving VAWA funds using the National program form: