Senate Bill 13-250: Changes to Drug Crime Sentencing

• Creates new drug felony classification system: Replaces traditional class felonies (1-6) with four-level drug felony structure (DF1-DF4) with specified presumptive and aggravated sentencing ranges, effective October 1, 2013.

• Establishes felony-to-misdemeanor conversion: Allows courts to vacate felony drug convictions and enter level 1 misdemeanor convictions upon successful completion of community-based sentences for certain drug offenses, creating a second-chance mechanism.

• Requires sentencing alternatives consideration: Mandates courts exhaust all reasonable alternative sentences before imposing incarceration for Level 4 drug felonies, prioritizing treatment and community corrections when appropriate.

• Expands community corrections and treatment: Permits courts to require residential drug treatment as a probation condition and authorizes community corrections programs to provide residential treatment with funding from the Correctional Treatment Cash Fund.

• Authorizes data collection and appropriates funding: Directs Division of Criminal Justice to track drug case outcomes through 2016 to measure impact and appropriates $3.5+ million for implementation of treatment programs and judicial/probation services.