Colorado Rural Impact Programs

The COLORADO CARES program is a startup initiative operated by the County Sheriffs of Colorado in partnership with Colorado Sheriff's Offices to serve as a criminal justice deflection program aimed at helping person(s) suffering from mental health disorders and substance abuse/use disorders in Colorado Communities. COLORADO CARES is a direct service to more rural areas and less densely populated communities that need the focused resources of Mental Health Treatment, Peer Addiction Counseling, Social Services Assistance, and Homelessness Intervention in order to avoid initial or continued involvement in the criminal justice system. These same resources will also be offered to Urban Counties as requested by County Sheriffs. The Rural Colorado Confinement Education Program will assist the Sheriffs overseeing corrections in rural Colorado to provide vital education resources to their offender populations. This program begins with the Test of Adult Basic Education, Adult Basic Education, GED programming, into life services, work related skills, and finally into college level education programs through partnerships with universities that provide Second Chance Pell Grant education. These basic education services will be available in English as well as Spanish to assist the underserved Hispanic populations residing within Colorado. There will be digital based learning accompanied by available direct assistance from an adult learning professional. Due to a disparity in funding, the Rural Colorado Education Program through the County Sheriffs of Colorado will give agencies across the state access to necessary educational tools. The program will work to provide a basic high school education to 250 inmates a year with progression to life skills such as resume writing, parenting classes, budgeting information and valuable basic computer skills that are necessary for success in the job force. The County Sheriffs of Colorado Youth Athletic Program is a revitalization of the Police Athletic League model. By entering into community partnerships, law enforcement can rebuild lost trust, promote positive interactions with youth athletes and their families, provide a physical outlet for children to develop athletic skills, coordination, and social interactions with other teammates. The program has a focus on day camps in major sports with the possibility to sponsor a team for tournament or league play in some cases. Football, Baseball, Soccer, and Basketball will be the focus of the program.