Helping Individuals Get a Fresh Start
Jefferson County has a strong culture of collaboration among justice system agencies, formalized through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC), whose mission is to promote the highest quality of justice through collaboration and consensus. As a CJCC member, our office works with the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, First Judicial District Courts, First Judicial District Probation Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Justice Services, and the Community Connections Center to implement innovative, evidence-based solutions that advance fairness, accountability, and public trust in the justice system.
One focus of the CJCC has been reducing bench warrants. A bench warrant is issued by the Court (“bench”) when an individual fails to appear (FTA) for a scheduled court date or fails to comply (FTC) with court-mandated conditions or a community-based sentence, such as probation. While some individuals intentionally avoid their obligations to the Court, many miss court due to confusion, fear of the process, difficulty navigating logistics, or simply failing to plan properly (1).
Missed court dates carry significant costs for both the justice system and individuals. In some jurisdictions, failures to appear are a primary driver of jail bookings, contributing to unnecessary system strain and disruption to people’s lives.
Importantly, individuals facing more serious felony charges generally have high court appearance rates, perhaps because they are more likely to have supportive pretrial services, or to have paid a financial condition of release. In contrast, misdemeanor and traffic cases, which represent more than 80% of cases in the First Judicial District, tend to have the highest FTA rates.
Research demonstrates that small, behavioral science-informed changes can meaningfully increase court appearance rates, reduce costs, and improve system efficiency without compromising accountability or public safety. Aligned with the four principles of the Unwarranted Project, the following local strategies focus on reducing missed court dates and unnecessary warrants by improving how people receive, understand, and act on court information.
- Statewide court date text reminders. Just like salon and doctor appointments, the texts remind individuals about upcoming court dates and follow up quickly after an FTA. (Principle 1, Make information clear, timely and accessible.)
- A new summons based on state-of-the-art behavioral science of how individuals receive and interpret information, developed with technical assistance from ideas42. (Principle 1, Make information clear, timely and accessible.)
- The expansion of virtual hearings since Covid-19. (Principle 3, Add flexibility.)
- Transportation solutions through the Community Connections Center, which help individuals get to court dates and probation appointments. (Principle 4, Provide useful resources for those who need them.)
To resolve active warrants and reduce logistical challenges (Principle 2), the CJCC launched Fresh Start in 2021, a warrant clearance event designed to help individuals address outstanding warrants in a more accessible way.
Eligibility at Fresh Start is limited to warrants for low-level, non-violent misdemeanors and traffic cases, along with select low-level non-violent felonies. Victim Rights cases are not eligible.
At the first event, held on a Saturday in August 2021, 39 people attended, and 48 warrants were quashed. Since then, Fresh Start events are held twice a year, and participation has grown through the use of text notification, active community outreach, social media, and earned media like newspaper articles and television stories. More recent Fresh Start events typically resolve about 100 warrants at each event.
November 2024 marked the first multi-jurisdiction Fresh Start, coordinated with Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, and Pueblo counties. It enabled participants attending in person at the local Fresh Start to, for example, clear a Denver warrant by virtual appearance in the Denver courtroom (and vice versa). A record number (141) of local warrants were cleared that day.
Over nine events spanning four and a half years, 626 individuals resolved 757 warrant cases through Fresh Start. Resolving their warrants in a supportive, collaborative environment not only prevents a disruptive, costly arrest for the individual, but collectively avoids hundreds of thousands of dollars in jail costs (2).
About 75% of resolved warrants involved Failures to Appear, with the remaining 25% related to Failures to Comply with probation or court-imposed conditions.
Although eligible participants’ warrants are cancelled, the ultimate outcome of each criminal case depends on its severity and specific facts. Many cases are resolved and closed during Fresh Start. For example, some individuals arrive with documentation showing they have already completed required obligations, such as obtaining automobile insurance or reinstating a driver's license, and their cases are dismissed. Others may plead guilty after consulting with the public defender. Cases that are not resolved at Fresh Start may have a new court date set, putting the individual back on track for accountability and to address any needs necessary to achieve long term success. Finally, some cases are re-sentenced to probation, allowing the person to re-engage with supervision and access needed rehabilitative services or treatment. Regardless of the case outcome, all participants also have an opportunity to connect with supportive resources at Fresh Start events through the Community Connections Center.
However, numbers of warrants quashed and cases resolved is only part of the impact. At Fresh Start, we also bear witness to personal stories of relief and transformation. Participants are often grateful for an opportunity to get back on track with their case and their lives.
- “Mary” was living in her car, but attended Fresh Start after seeing a flyer. She had several warrants for low-level traffic cases and cried when the Judge dismissed all of them.
For some, clearing an arrest warrant can be transformative and closely tied to broader personal growth.
- After driving from Colorado Springs to resolve his warrant, “Joe” shared that addressing his case at Fresh Start was the last step in “putting [his] life back together after running from a 35-year addiction.”
- “Sam” avoided Colorado for years due to a failure-to-comply warrant stemming from a 1994 felony case with a charge that has since been reclassified as a misdemeanor. After appearing virtually at the November 2025 event to clear the warrant, he wrote to the Court: “I'm now free to show my children where I grew up. I can now visit [the graves of] my Grandparents, Mother and Father all buried at Crown Hill. This means the world to me. Thank you.”
Participants have appeared virtually from Japan, Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and flown in from Florida and Texas to attend in person.
Powered by court staff, attorneys, and community partners who volunteer their time, Fresh Start produces measurable results for both individuals and the justice system. By resolving hundreds of warrants, reducing failures to appear, and avoiding unnecessary arrests and jail bookings, the program delivers meaningful cost savings while improving court efficiency.
At the same time, Fresh Start demonstrates what effective justice looks like in practice, with agencies working together to create a safe and accessible path to accountability. For the deputy district attorneys who participate, the experience is a reminder of why this work matters, as they witness firsthand the determination of people who choose accountability and a path forward. These outcomes reduce system strain, strengthen public trust, and reinforce the legitimacy of the justice system, with benefits that extend well beyond the day of the event.
Notes
- https://www.ideas42.org/unwarranted/ and Court Reminders have Broad Bipartisan Support (Pew Charitable Trusts)
- A jail booking costs taxpayers approximately $100 and each day in jail costs $125 or more.
We are grateful for our partnership with Jefferson County Justice Services, who have provided the data highlighted in this story.