Welcome to Capitol Week In Review, our newsletter where we’ll cut through the noise to bring you clear, timely updates on what’s moving and what it means for educational equity and efforts to increase opportunities for Colorado families.
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Priority legislative update
One of our justice reform priority bills continues to move through the Capitol:
HB26- 1017 Criminal Restitution Prohibited for Insurers would change how criminal restitution works by removing insurance companies from the definition of a “victim” for restitution purposes. Under the bill, insurers could no longer collect restitution through the criminal courts when they suffer losses; instead, they could pursue those losses through civil lawsuits against offenders if necessary. This bill is scheduled to be heard on the House Floor next week.
Legislation of Interest
SB26-005 Rights Violation in Immigration Enforcement Remedy would allow people to sue in Colorado state courts if they believe their federal constitutional rights were violated during civil immigration enforcement, even if the person who caused the harm wasn’t acting under “color of law” (the appearance of having legal power). The bill creates a new cause of action with a two-year time limit for starting the case and lets plaintiffs seek legal, equitable, or other appropriate relief for injuries tied to immigration enforcement activities. This bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is awaiting scheduling in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB26-036 Prison Population Management Measures, updates Colorado’s response to prison overcrowding by requiring earlier alerts and ongoing reporting when capacity is reached. It also speeds up safe release options, like expedited parole reviews, earned-time credits, and alternatives to incarceration, to reduce the prison population without compromising public safety. This bill was introduced in the Senate and is awaiting scheduling in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB26-1050 Optional Individualized Readiness Plan for School would change current education law so that local education providers are no longer required to create an individualized readiness plan for preschool or kindergarten students who score proficient on both a school readiness assessment and a kindergarten reading assessment. Instead, providing such a plan for those students becomes optional rather than mandatory. This bill is awaiting scheduling for second reading on the House floor.
Our Take: Colorado Shouldn’t be a corporate debt collector, help us pass HB26-1017
For many people leaving incarceration, the sentence doesn’t actually end when they walk out the door. It follows them, month after month, paycheck after paycheck, through a restitution system that can keep growing even when they do everything right.
Kyle Giddings, Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, described that reality to lawmakers. After taking responsibility for his actions and pleading guilty in 2013, he was ordered to pay restitution, not to a harmed individual, but to an insurance company.
“I accepted that obligation. I started paying.”
He has paid consistently for over a decade. But interest kept accumulating.
“That means my total remaining balance is $88 thousand dollars — more than I originally owed — after more than a decade of making payments.”
Even with a stable job and a $1,100 monthly wage garnishment, the debt keeps growing.
“But it is not easy. And it gets harder every year.”
His experience is not unusual; it is a structural problem. Colorado’s restitution system was designed to repair harm, yet in practice it often operates like a permanent debt collection system where payments can go to corporations instead of victims. That undermines reentry, destabilizes families, and makes public safety worse by keeping people trapped in financial crisis long after accountability has been taken.
HB26-1017 draws a clear line: restitution should prioritize people who were harmed, not corporate reimbursement. As Giddings told legislators, “There is a meaningful difference between compensating a natural person who was harmed and reimbursing a corporation designed to manage risk.” When people can rebuild their lives, secure housing, maintain employment, and support their families, communities are safer. Smart justice means accountability paired with a real path forward.
Take Action
Email your Representative and urge them to vote YES on HB26-1017. Colorado has the opportunity to move from permanent punishment to real restoration, but lawmakers need to hear from you today.
What We’re Reading
- Chalkbeat Colorado, Colorado bill would make bilingualism endorsement available to high school graduates
- Chalkbeat Colorado, Misdemeanor convictions wouldn’t prevent some Colorado teachers from getting hired if new bill passes
- Chalkbeat Colorado, Denver school board could consider policy to protect students and staff from immigration enforcement
