UPDATE | February 7, 2024: Senate Bill 24-012 died in committee Wednesday afternoon.
State lawmakers are considering a bill that would provide up to $3,000 to convicted felons to help them transition back into society when they leave prison or jail.
Senate Bill 24-012 would create a pilot program in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Participants in the program must have recently been released from incarceration following a felony conviction. They would also have to be enrolled in a workforce service or training program.
State Sen. Julie Gonzales, Sen. James Coleman, Rep. Mary Young, and Rep. Javier Mabrey are sponsoring the bill.
Under the bill, money provided to the participants would be used to help them with basic living expenses, such as “housing, food, health care, hygiene products, clothes, financial obligations related to [their] legal proceedings, transportation, and technology.”
Shaun Magrath remembers the deep anxiety he felt after losing his job during the pandemic and was suddenly unable to pay his rent.
"It really frightened my heart at that time. Like, what am I gonna do?” Magrath said. “Am I gonna have to go back to the shelter?"
As a convicted felon, Magrath had few options. He turned to a pilot program that provided monthly payments to people who have been in prison or jail.
“So, I received the cash assistance, and I was able to catch up on rent and also worked my way towards getting a vehicle, which helped me get employment,” Magrath said.
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and its partners distributed the money, totaling over $24 million, to Magrath and over 10,000 others across the country.
Now, they’re pushing the State of Colorado to create a similar program of its own, and the passage of SB24-102.
“Folks with convictions in their background typically take longer to find a job just because of different requirements of different companies when their background checks are run. And yet, people still need to survive,” said Mark Smesrud, the Denver site director for CEO. “They need to be able to feed themselves, they need to have a roof over their heads.”
Smesrud said the money would not only help former prisoners transition back into society, but it could also keep them from returning to a life of crime, reducing the recidivism rate.
According to the Colorado Department of Corrections, over the past two decades, anywhere from 31% to 53% of offenders have been reincarcerated.
“What we're currently doing clearly isn't working,” Smesrud said.
The Department of Corrections opposes the bill, calling it too narrow.
Adrienne Sanchez, director of policy and legislative affairs for the Colorado Department of Corrections, testified against the bill during a Senate Judiciary hearing on Monday. She said as currently written, the bill severely limits who the department could pick to run the pilot program.
According to the Legislative Council Staff, 4,500 Coloradans could participate in the program. It would cost taxpayers up to $7.5 million the first year and up to $15 million the second year.
Sen. Coleman said it costs about $50,000 to incarcerate one prisoner each year in Colorado. He said the pilot program would save taxpayers money by cutting down on recidivism.
Magrath, who now works for CEO, testified in favor of the bill. He said he hopes others receive the help he received.
“I would not have been able to achieve the things I did without that funding,” Magrath said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will take the bill back up at a later date.
