Event description
“Join us virtually for a wrap up conversation on the 2021 Colorado Legislative session. We'll be joined by Representatives Judy Amabile, Tracey Bernett, Edie Hooton, and Karen McCormick and Senators Steve Fenberg and Sonja Jaquez Lewis.”
The scoop
Democratic Representatives Judy Amabile and Karen McCormick and Senator Sonja Jacquez Lewis were early proponents of legislation to reduce cash bail and arrests for low-level offenses. Democratic Majority Leader Steve Fenberg was slow to support SB62 but supported SB273.
What to say
Tell the panel that Colorado must end the criminalization of poverty by ending cash bail and systemic racism in policing by reducing arrests for low level offenses that do not affect public safety.
Some talking points
Black people in Colorado are arrested at 8 x the rate per population than white people for low-level offenses and killed by police at quadruple the rate. Latinx people are killed at double the rate.
Colorado’s jail populations have exploded 800% since the 70s as arrests have become the first response to homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse.
60% of Coloradans sitting in jail are presumptively innocent and not there because they are dangerous, but because they are too poor to pay bond.
71% of ALL arrests since 2013 have been for low-level offenses like traffic violations and petty offenses that do not effect public safety.
54% of the Coloradans killed by police since 2013 started as a response to a low-level or NO level offense like a mental health call.