Criminal Legal Reform

The Constitution protects every person’s right to due process of law and humane treatment during incarceration regardless of race, socioeconomic status, age, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

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Criminal Legal Reform is part of ACLU of Colorado's Campaign for Smart Justice.

The Constitution protects every person’s right to due process of law and humane treatment during incarceration regardless of race, socioeconomic status, age, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

The ACLU has long been at the forefront of challenging police abuses and failures of the criminal justice system to protect due process rights. We work to ensure that constitutional rights apply to all, regardless of race, ethnicity or economics.

We are committed to comprehensive reform of our criminal legal system, including preventing unnecessary involvement of juveniles in the system, ending racial profiling, re-thinking overly harsh mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws, ensuring adequate representation for people accused of crimes, diverting substance abusers from prisons to treatment, respecting the human and constitutional rights of people in our correctional facilities, advocating for dignified community re-entry, and ending the broken death penalty system.

The Latest

Press Release
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Colorado Confines Hundreds of Children in Dangerous Detention Facilities Instead of Providing Legally Required Community Services, Lawsuit Alleges

Harms disproportionately affect youth with disabilities and those in the foster system
Press Release
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Federal Judge Prohibits ICE from Making Warrantless Arrests in Colorado

A coalition of legal advocates filed the class action lawsuit in October 2025
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Press Release
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ACLU of Colorado Demands that Colorado Bureau of Investigation Address Concerns after Former DNA Analyst Mishandled Numerous Cases

In a letter to the CBI, the ACLU of Colorado calls for a thorough, independent audit and demands transparency with the public about CBI’s response 
Court Case
Mar 25, 2026

Isaac N., et al. v. Polis, et al.

The ACLU of Colorado filed a class action lawsuit seeking a declaration that state of Colorado officials are illegally confining hundreds of children in dangerous detention facilities instead of providing them with community services.
Court Case
Jan 12, 2026

State of Colorado v. McGee (Amicus)

The ACLU of Colorado filed an Amicus Brief seeking to provide the Court with Colorado-specific context that counsels strongly against eroding the protection provided by a second competency evaluation by an evaluator of the raising party’s choice.
Court Case
Mar 17, 2025

Beagle v. People (Amicus)

The ACLU of Colorado filed an amicus brief arguing that Colorado’s Sexually Violent Predator designation is punishment.
Court Case
Feb 10, 2025

Densmore v. People & Frazee v. People (Amicus)

In two cases involving DHS workers’ interrogations of parents in jail, the Colorado Supreme Court held that the DHS workers were not acting as agents of law enforcement so Miranda warnings were not required.