ORS: Documents-Research

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) publishes research efforts categorized as trend summaries, data briefs, special reports, and impact analyses. These materials are generated by the staff of the ORS, but are not mandated in the Colorado Revised Statutes. Reports that are mandated by the C.R.S. can be found at the "Reports" button above.

Trends & Data Briefs

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) produces trend and data briefs in response to current events, public policy trends, stakeholder and public interests, as well as, by request of the Governor's Office. The most recent materials are listed first and years are displayed when reports were published.

Name/Report Period	Keywords	Publish Date	Document
2024			TOP
Firearm Usage in Violent Crimes (CY 2019-2023) [PDF]	Data summarized on violent crime and firearm use: offenders, victims, crime types, age groups, gender, and weapon types. Data compiled from the CO Bureau of Investigation and ATF Firearms Trace Data. Background research on gun policy, public perception, and public health. Summary of Colorado and Federal gun legislation.	November 2024	PDF 830 KB
Quarterly Crime Trends Report: 2024-Quarter 2 (CY 2019-2024) (HTML)	2024: Quarter 2 Report with findings from 2019: Quarter 2 to 2024: Quarter 2. Violent crimes: murder, non-consensual sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault Property crimes: burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson Violent and property crime rates per 100K in Colorado, 2019-2024 Annual percent change in Violent and Property crimes (2023: Q1 & Q2 compared to 2024: Q1 & Q2) CO Bureau of Investigation statewide crime data totals and rates displayed by year and quarter, 2019-2024	September 2024	PDF 2.3 MB
Violence Disruptor Programs (VDP) HTML- In Brief: VDP (PDF at link above) PDF- In Detail: VDP	Five-year trend in violent crime Multidisciplinary Crime Prevention and Crisis Intervention Grant Program Community violence intervention programs Examples of violence reduction approaches and additional resources	VDP In Brief (Jul. 2024) In Detail (Nov. 2024)	In Brief PDF 75 KB
Quarterly Crime Trends Report: 2024-Quarter 1 (CY 2019-2024) (HTML)	2024: Quarter 1 Report with findings from 2019: Quarter 1 to 2024: Quarter1 Violent crimes: murder, non-consensual sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault Property crimes: burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson Violent and property crime rates per 100K in Colorado, 2019-2024 CO Bureau of Investigation statewide crime data totals and rates displayed by year and quarter, 2019-2024	July 2024	PDF 1.6 MB
Annual Crime Trends Report: CY 2013-2022	Violent and property crime rates in Colorado, Calendar Year 2013-2022 Federal Bureau of Investigation crime data comparisons of Colorado and US crime rates Violent crimes: homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault Property crimes: burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson	May 2024	PDF 770 KB
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) HTML- In Brief: ALPR (PDF at link above) HTML- In Detail: ALPR (PDF at link above)	Role of ALPR in investigations Ways to use ALPR Ethical concerns and considerations (see, In Detail) Additional ALPR information and resources	ALPR In Brief (May 2024) In Detail (May 2024)	In Brief PDF 280 KB
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) HTML- In Brief: CPTED (PDF at link above) HTML- In Detail: CPTED (PDF at link above)	Basic principles of CPTED Crime reduction impact Law enforcement strategies Additional CPTED information and resources	CPTED In Brief (Feb. 2024) In Detail (May 2024)	In Brief PDF 700 KB

Special Reports

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) produces special reports that examine the impact of public policies. The materials are in response to public policy implementation, stakeholder and public interests, by request of the Governor's Office, or, previously, at the request of the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (Sunset, September 1, 2023). The most recent special reports are listed first and years are displayed when reports were published.

Name/REPORT DATE	Keywords	PUBLICATION Date	Document Link
2020			TOP
Public Safety-Related Data, First Six Months of 2020 (and Addendum)	Summary of preliminary trends Jan-Jun 2019 vs 2020 from public data sources Traffic safety and Denver County crimes Personal recognizance bonds and bond outcomes District court filings Prison population	August 2020	PDF 400 KB
2019			TOP
Crime and Justice in Colorado 2009-2019	Colorado demographics Criminal event Adult and juvenile arrests, prosecution, and placements. Daily cost of adult and juvenile placements Prison, juvenile commitment, and parole population forecasts Recidivism of offenders on probation, committed youth, community corrections, and DOC Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice Substance use disorders and treatment services Racial/ethnic disparities in the justice system Guiding principles of evidence-based correctional practices	December 2020	PDF 6.3MB
Initial Bond Set CY 2011 to 2018 (Follow-up to March 2018, "Bond Reform Impact Analysis: HB 2013-1236" below)	Felony and misdemeanor cases Initial bond for felony by judicial district and by county Initial bond for misdemeanor by judicial district and by county Initial bonds for traffic misdemeanor by judicial district and by county	December 2019	PDF 300 KB
Exploring the Increase in District Court Filings in Colorado, 2013-2018	Increase in district court felony filings Exploration of growth factors Calendar years 2013-2018 Statewide findings (see By-district findings below)	October 2019	PDF 1.1 MB
Increase in District Court Filings Between CY 2013 and 2018	Increase in district court felony filings Exploration of growth factors Calendar years 2013-2018 By-district findings (see statewide findings above)	September 2019	PDF 900 KB
Increase in Prison Admissions: FY 2013-2018, by Judicial District	Increase in prison admissions July 2012 to June 2018 By race, ethnicity and gender By judicial district	September 2019	PDF 1.1 MB
2018			TOP
A Study of Homelessness in Seven Colorado Jails (2017)	Homelessness in Colorado Jails Survey administered in Seven Colorado Jails Why non-native inmates moved to Colorado and why are they staying? Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Homelessness factors	June 2018	PDF 586 KB
Community Corrections in Colorado: Program Outcomes and Recidivism, Terminations January 2014-December 2016	Program outcomes and recidivism Halfway houses Diversion and transition Recidivism Residential and non-residential programs	April 2018 (Revised Aug. 2019)	PDF 1.3 MB
Bond Reform Impact Analysis - H.B. 2013-1236 (CY 2011-2016)	Impacts of HB 2013-1236 (Pre-Trial Release from Custody) Cash/surety/property bonds vs. personal recognizance bonds Failure to appear rates Failure to appear rates in drug felony cases	March 2018	PDF 3.5 MB
Court Filings: DF1 to DF4 Drug Charges (CY 2017)	Drug felony cases during Calendar Year 2017 Drug charges by judicial district Drug charges by gender	February 2018	PDF 200 KB
Factors Influencing the Increase in the Colorado Prison Population: FY 2012-2017	Factors driving prison population growth Trends in arrests, filings, convictions, sentences, probation revocations Demographic characteristics Increase in female prison population	February 2018	PDF 700 KB
2016			TOP
Domestic Violence Case Processing in Colorado (FY 2009-2014)	Profile of Colorado Domestic Violence Cases, FY 2009-2014 Domestic Violence Offender Management Board Cases flagged with domestic violence offenses Exploratory study	April 2016	PDF 443 KB
2013			TOP
Community Corrections in Colorado: Program Outcomes and Recidivism, FY 2012-13	Community Corrections Program outcomes and recidivism FY 2012-13 halfway houses Diversion and Transition Recidivism Residential and non-residential programs	December 2013	PDF 1.1 MB
2011			TOP
John Echon Re-entry Program (JERP): Process Evaluation (2005-2007)	Offenders with mental illness Program evaluation Re-entry Community corrections Funded by OJP/BJA grant, 2005-RE-CX-001	December 2011	PDF 789 KB
2010			TOP
Crime and Justice in Colorado 2008-2010 Recipient of the Phillip Hoke National Publications Award for Excellence in Analysis: Statistical/Management Report Category presented by The Justice Information Research Network	Colorado demographics Adult and juvenile arrests, prosecution, and placements Daily cost of adult and juvenile placements Prison, juvenile commitment, and parole population forecasts Recidivism of offenders in probation, committed youth, community corrections, and DOC The CCJJ and the JJDPC Impact of incarceration on crime Research on crime desistance Escape: mandatory consecutive sentences The death penalty The role of restorative justice	March 2011	PDF 4.9MB
White Paper from the Treatment Funding Working Group (2010)	Drug policy reform Substance abuse, dependence, and addiction Behavioral health Treatment availability, funding, and outcomes	December 2010	PDF 1.8 MB
Evaluation of the Colorado Short Term Intensive Residential Remediation Treatment (STIRRT) Programs (2008-2009)	Short Term Intensive Residential Remediation Treatment (STIRRT) Substance abuse treatment Residential and outpatient component Recidivism rates	October 2010	PDF 600 KB
Recidivism Reduction Package Status Report: FY 2008- FY 2010	Recidivism reduction Crime Prevention Offender Diversion Package Division of Youth Corrections Division of Behavioral Health Division of Criminal Justice Department of Human Services Department of Corrections	July 2010	PDF 1.9 MB
Sexual Assault in Jails and Juvenile Facilities: Promising Practices for Prevention and Response - Final Report (2010)	Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Sexual assault in jails Sexual assault in juvenile facilities	June 2010	PDF 3.7 MB
Community Corrections Program Terminations: Client Needs, Services and Outcomes (FY 2008)	Community Corrections Client needs Services Terminations Recidivism	June 2010	PDF 1.2 MB
2008			TOP
The Status of Parole Returns to Prison in Colorado (FY2000-2007)	Parole returns to prison in Colorado Parole failures	May 2008	PDF 213 KB
What Works: Effective Recidivism Reduction and Risk-Focused Prevention Programs (2008)	Compendium of evidence-based options for preventing new and persistent criminal behavior	February 2008	PDF 5.0 MB
2007			TOP
Evidence-Based Correctional Practices (2007)	What works in corrections Eight principles of evidence-based correctional practices	August 2007	PDF 117 KB
2006			TOP
Crime and Justice in Colorado 2006 Recipient of the Phillip Hoke National Publications Award for Excellence in Analysis: Statistical/Management Report Category presented by The Justice Information Research Network	Colorado demographics Adult and juvenile arrests, prosecution, and conviction demographics Adult and juvenile criminal placements Daily cost of adult and juvenile placements Prison, juvenile commitment, and parole population forecasts Recidivism of drug offenders and women on probation, committed youth, community correction offenders, and DOC inmates Sex offenders Children of incarcerated parents School violence Methamphetamine use in Colorado Outcomes of domestic violence offenders in Colorado Offenders with mental illness in prison administrative segregation	June 2007	PDF 8.8 MB
Community Corrections in Colorado: A study of Program Outcomes and Recidivism, FY2000-2004	Financial Outcomes Successful Program Terminations Technical Violations, Escapes and New Crimes Who Succeeds In the Program Outcomes by Program Program Variation What's Linked to Program Success? Who Recidivates? Recidivism by Program and by Program Type	May 2006	PDF 530 KB
An Assessment of Four Substance Abuse Treatment Programs (2004)	Juvenile substance abuse treatment programs Adult substance abuse treatment programs Multi-Systemic Treatment Program What works for drug and alcohol treatment Colorado 2004 N-SSAT results Byrne funded substance abuse offender treatment programs	March 2006	PDF 209 KB
2005			TOP
NO 2005 REPORTS
2004			TOP
Crime and Justice in Colorado 2004	Colorado demographics Adult and juvenile arrests by index crime Adult and juvenile arrest by county Adult and juvenile arrest, prosecution, and conviction demographics Adult and juvenile criminal placements Daily cost of adult and juvenile placements Prison, juvenile commitment, and parole population forecasts Mental illness in the criminal justice system Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Firearms and domestic violence Substance abuse arrests and treatment Victims of crime	March 2005	PDF 3.1 MB
Report on Firearm Use Among Denver Arrestees in 2003 Presented to the Project Safe Neighborhood Task Force	Guns Gun arrests Gun violations Firearm possession among arrestees Threats and injuries from firearms	July 2004	PDF 308 KB
2003			TOP
Project Safe Neighborhoods - America's Network Against Gun Violence: Firearm Data Presented to Project Safe Neighborhood Task Force (1976-2001)	Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Guns Crime rates Homicide Trends Juvenile Firearm Use Prisoner and Arrestee Firearm Use Federal gun prosecutions Colorado's background and Instacheck system	September 2003	PDF 800 KB
Evaluation of Colorado's Prison Therapeutic Community for Sex Offenders (1993-2002)	Therapeutic communities (TC) Sex offender treatment in a prison environment Sex offender treatment effectiveness Process evaluation Recidivism	July 2003	PDF 2.3 MB
2002			TOP
Community Corrections Study Report (Fiscal Year 1998)	Community Corrections/Half-way houses Special populations (females, sex offenders, mentally ill, and substance abusers) Offender profiles Level of Supervision Inventory (LSI ) Needs/risks Recidivism Recommendations	February 2002	PDF 428 KB
2001			TOP
Evaluation of the Denver Drug Court: The Early Years, 1995-1996	Drug courts Drug offenders Substance abuse treatment Offender profiles Cultural diversity Recidivism	November 2001	PDF 295 KB
2000			TOP
The Value of Polygraph Testing in Sex Offender Management: Research Report Submitted to the National Institute of Justice (1998)	Sex offender post-conviction polygraphs Crossover Incest Sex offender treatment Polygraph research	December 2000	PDF 1.2 MB
Lessons Learned: Evaluating the Changes in Perception of Participants of Girls E.T.C. Workshops (1997)	Female offenders Before and after method Evaluation of training	February 2000	PDF 584 KB
1999			TOP
Case Processing Evaluation of the Denver Drug Court (1993-1995)	Drug courts Offender profiles Process evaluation	February 1999	PDF 228 KB
1996			TOP
Evaluation of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Cognitive Skills Development Program as Implemented in Juvenile ISP in Colorado (1994-1995)	Reasoning & Rehabilitation cognitive skills development program Juvenile ISP Experimental design Recidivism	August 1996	PDF 1.8 MB
Comparison of Intensive Supervision Probation and Community Corrections Clientele (1993)	Intensive Supervision Probation (ISP) Community Corrections Recidivism	May 1996	PDF 214 KB
How are Adult Felony Sex Offenders Managed on Probation and Parole? (1996)	Sex offenders Community management of sex offenders Probation Parole	January 1996	PDF 2.6 MB
Managing Adult Sex Offenders: A Containment Approach (1996)	Containment approach for sex offenders Offender profiles Model process How to evaluate your program Denial Prosecution of sex crimes Polygraph Sex offender treatment	January 1996	(External link)

Research Archive

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) provides archived work below by staff of the unit: the occasional newsletter: Elements of Change (1996 to 2012), the Bulletin Series: Building Blocks for Institutional Safety (2006-2007), and published articles.

Elements of Change Newsletter

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS), between 1996 and 2012, distributed an occasional newsletter, Elements of Change, that highlighted trends and issues in the criminal justice system such as alcohol and drug use, special correctional populations, crime prevention, sentencing patterns, and new laws. The content of Elements of Change serves as record of the historical work of the Research Unit during that period.

Elements of Change Editions (PDF)

Building Blocks for Institutional Safety

"Building Blocks for Institutional Safety" was a bulletin series published between 2006 and 2007 supported by a grant from the National Institute of Justice. The series focused on prevention and intervention of offender-on-offender sexual assaults.

Name	Keywords	Report Date	Document Link
Bulletin Series: "Building Blocks for Institutional Safety"	Issues 5: A Bibliography of Resources Available from the National Institute of Corrections Information Center	October 2007	PDF 652 KB
Bulletin Series: "Building Blocks for Institutional Safety"	Issues 4: Using Data to Prevent Inmate Sexual Assault	October 2007	PDF 469 KB
Bulletin Series: "Building Blocks for Institutional Safety"	Issues 3: Promising Practices to Prevent Inmate Sexual Assault	May 2007	PDF 568 KB
Bulletin Series: "Building Blocks for Institutional Safety"	Issues 2: Promising Practices to Prevent Resident Sexual Assaults at Woodfield Cottage Secure Detention Facility	May 2007	PDF 456 KB
Bulletin Series: "Building Blocks for Institutional Safety"	Issues 1: Responding to the Prison Rape Elimination Act	July 2006	PDF 408 KB

Published Articles

The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) has occasionally published articles related to the work conducted by staff of the unit. Articles are listed by most recent publication date.

Published Articles (PDF)

Is Prison Sexual Offending Behavior Indicative of Community Risk?
Heil, P., Harrison, L., English K., & Alhmeyer, S. (2009). Is Prison Sexual Offending Behavior Indicative of Community Risk? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36 (9), 892-908.

Sex offender Polygraph Testing in the United States: Trends and Controversies
Heil, P. & English, K. (2009). Sex offender polygraph testing in the United States: Trend and controversies. The use of the polygraph in assessing, treating, and supervision sex offenders: A practitioners guide (pp. 181-216). United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.

Prison Rape: What We Know Today
English, K. & Heil, P. (2005). Prison Rape: What We Know Today. Corrections Compendium, 30(5), 1-5 and 42-44.

The Containment Approach to Managing Sex Offenders (3)
(3) English, K. (2004). The containment approach to managing sex offenders. Seton Hall Law Review, 34, 1255-1272.

Sexual Offender Containment: Use of the Post Conviction Polygraph (8)
(8) English, K., Jones, L., Patrick, D., & Pasini-Hill, D. (2003). Sexual offender containment: Use of the post conviction polygraph. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

The Colorado Sex Offender Risk Scale (2)
(2) English, K. , Retzlaff, P., & Kleinsasser, D. (2002). The Colorado Sex Offender Risk Scale. Journal of Child Abuse, 11, 77-96.

The Impact of Polygraphy on Admissions of Victims and Offenders in Adult Sexual Offenders (5)
(5) Ahlmeyer, S., Heil, P., McKee, B., & English, K. (2000). The impact of polygraphy on admissions of victims and offenses in adult sexual offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 12(2), 123-138.

The Value of the Post-Conviction Polygraph: The Importance of Sanctions (6)
(6) Cooley-Towell, S., Pasini-Hill, D., & Patrick, D. (2000). The value of the post-conviction polygraph: The importance of sanctions. Polygraph, 29(1), 6-19.

The Containment Approach: An Aggressive Strategy for the Community Management of Adult Sex Offenders (4)
(4) English, K. (1998). The containment approach: An aggressive strategy for the community management of adult sex offenders. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 4 (1/2), 218-235.

Other Important Resources (PDF)

Krapohl, D.J., &, Gary, W.B. (2004). Exploration into the effects of race on polygraph scores and decisions. Polygraph, 33 (4), 234-239.

La Fond, J.Q., &, Winick, B.J. (2004). Sex offender reentry courts: A proposal for managing the risk of returning sex offenders to the community. Seton Hall Law Review, 34, 1173-1212.

Part I: pages 1173-1177
Part II: pages 1178-1182
Part III: pages 1183-1187
Part IV: pages 1188-1192
Part V: pages 1193-1197
Part VI: pages 1198-1202
Part VII: pages 1203-1207
Part VIII: pages 1208-1212

Stern, B.A., &, Krapohl, D.J. (2004). The efficacy of detecting deception in psychopaths using a polygraph. Polygraph, 33 (4), 201-213.

Part I: pages 201-207
Part II: pages 208-213

Grotpeter, J.K., &, Elliot, D.S. (2002). Violent sexual offending. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science.
Full Report

CDPS

Job Opportunities

Creating a Colorado for All