Today the House Judiciary Committee heard HB 25-1116 Department of Corrections Search Court Records Before Offender Release. The bill requires the department of corrections to search all information available to the department to determine whether an offender held at a correctional facility is subject to an outstanding warrant or if the offender has a pending case in a Colorado court. Claudia Carrillo, a Program Food System coordinator and Stand Advocacy Fellow prepared testimony in support of HB25-1116 that was read during the hearing by our State Organizer, Natalie Perez. Below are those remarks.
“My name is Claudia Carrillo, and I am here to ask you to vote YES on HB25-1116 because this is about fairness, second chances, and fixing a broken system.
Inmates are more than just prisoners—they are someone’s child, sibling, parent, or grandparent. They are human beings who deserve the chance to move forward, not be held back by bureaucratic obstacles they don’t even know exist. Life incarcerated is already incredibly difficult. Depending on where they’re placed, some inmates might have access to programs that help with reentry, but many don’t. On top of everything they’re already struggling with, having outstanding warrants they are unaware of only sets them up to fail before they even get a chance to start over.
I saw this firsthand with my aunt’s experience. When she was incarcerated, she had to give custody of her children to my grandmother. When she was released, she expected to immediately regain custody, but the process was much harder than she anticipated. Her children—U.S. citizens—had to remain in Mexico with my grandmother until she could find a stable job that would accept her. She worked tirelessly, first finding a small rental, then eventually securing a three-bedroom home so she could bring her children back.
After overcoming every obstacle, rebuilding her life, and providing for her children, she was blindsided by an outstanding warrant from 20 years ago. Just when she thought she had finally created stability, she was suddenly at risk of going back — losing everything she had worked so hard to rebuild.
When someone goes to prison, they are already facing the consequences of their actions, yet their struggles don’t stop there. They fight battles we don’t see, and the last thing they need is another legal hurdle standing in their way. How can we expect people to successfully reintegrate into society if they walk out of prison only to be arrested again for something they were never even told about?
That’s why HB25-1116 matters. This bill would require the Department of Corrections to regularly check for outstanding warrants or pending cases and notify inmates—rather than allowing them to find out years later, when they have already worked so hard to reintegrate, like in my aunt’s case.
At the end of the day, this is about fairness. People who have served their time deserve a real chance at rebuilding their lives. They shouldn’t walk out of prison only to be thrown right back in because of unresolved legal issues they never even knew existed.
Let’s fix this. Let’s make sure people know their rights, have the support they need, and get a real chance at moving forward.
I urge you to vote YES on HB25-1116. “