Montrose Municipal Court is operating in the shadows, sending vulnerable community members to jail without an attorney or even a basic recording of the proceedings.

☀️ PRIORITY BILL INTRODUCED ☀️⁠ Municipal courts in Colorado are too often jailing folks for lowest-level poverty offenses with... - no public oversight, - no records, and/or - no lawyer in sight. HB26-1134 puts an end to all three.

⏳ Coming up in two days! Register to hear Denver City Council Members @paradyatlarge.bsky.social, @shontel4council.bsky.social, and Gonzales-Gutierrez discuss their *critically necessary* sentencing reform work. 🗓️ Wed. 2/18/26 at 4 PM via Zoom Registration link is in our bio! 🔗

Big things are happening in Denver! Join City Council Members Gonzales-Gutierrez, @shontel4council.bsky.social, and @paradyatlarge.bsky.social to talk about their work championing municipal court reform this year. CFF and @ccjrc.bsky.social are hosting a virtual launch event: Wed. 2.18.26 at 4PM

Tomorrow is the 2026 Municipal Court Convening and we hope to see you there! 🗓️ Thur. 1/29/26, 4-5:30 PM on Zoom Registration in advance is required, link in bio! 🔗

⚖️ Join us virtually this Thursday (1/29) for the 2026 Municipal Court Convening! CO municipal courts criminalize poverty, sending our vulnerable neighbors to jail for acts of survival. We’re coming together to talk about recent advocacy at the local and state levels and what’s on deck in 2026.

📅 The 2026 CFF Municipal Courts Convening is just over one week away, so register now! Join us on Zoom with @javiermabrey.bsky.social and Westminster City Council Member Jack Johnson on Thursday, 1/29 at 4pm MST.

📅 2026 CFF Municipal Courts Convening: Register Now! Join us on Zoom with @javiermabrey.bsky.social and Westminster City Council Member Jack Johnson on Thursday, 1/29 at 4pm MST.

🐣 2025 vs. CFF. What a year... Our 2025 Year in Review reflects on progress and challenges in the past year and the work ahead. We expanded our reach in rural Colorado and led a coalition to counter criminalization of poverty in Colorado municipal courts.

✨HUGE WIN! Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling: Municipal courts can no longer issue harsher punishments than state courts for the same offenses.

✨Yet ANOTHER data-driven report that bail reform works and communities are safer when they are freer. 👀Read the study: datacollaborativeforjustice.org/work/bail-reform/testing-the-long-term-impact-of-bail-reform-across-new-york-state-a-quasi-experimental-evaluation/

Success in ending cash bond in Illinois threatens a key deception by Trump: that more people in cages makes us safe. 👀Read CFF Policy Director Rebecca Wallace’s Op Ed: denverpost.com/2025/09/05/trump-bail-bond-pretrial-fairness/

✊USA Today with some fact-based reporting. Illinois ended cash bail & the data is in: crime is down, court appearances are steady, & poor families no longer have to buy freedom for kin. usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/08/26/trump-wants-to-end-cashless-bail-how-this-affects-you/85822325007/

💡So Denver Police want to educate rather than punish officers for lower level misconduct to help those officers really understand their mistakes and avoid them in the future? IMAGINE A WORLD where we offerred the same grace, education and opportunities to community members.

Join us on Mon. June 9 for the first ever Denver Resident Lobby Day! We’ll meet with a great set of partners to talk about municipal court fairness and the city budget, and voice concerns directly to City Council members. RSVP at bit.ly/ResidentLD!

CFF Policy Director @rebeccawallace.bsky.social criticizes Johnston's advocacy for Gov. Polis to veto HB25-1147, Municipal Court Fairness. Read the Letter: denverpost.com/2025/06/03/johnston-municipal-court-reform-house-bill-1147-veto/

Rebecca Wallace from @cofreedomfund.bsky.social, on the topic of prison abolition. Catch this convo on UNLOCKING CHANGE, our monthly show where our system-impacted producers tackle big questions with leading voices in the criminal-legal space. Listen/watch: www.radioforjustice.org/podcasts

💥We’re mad, but we’re not done fighting for fairness for our unhoused neighbors. Read Colorado Freedom Fund’s statement on Gov. Polis’ veto of HB25-1147: coloradofreedomfund.org/hb1147-veto. Then, let’s get work.

Gov. Polis could’ve signed HB25-1147 and brought fairness to Colorado’s municipal courts. Instead, people can still get a year in jail for trespassing or camping—just for being arrested in the wrong zip code. ICYMI (paywall): www.denverpost.com/2025/05/16/c...

ICYMI: Gov. Polis vetoed HB25-1147 last week. Unhoused people can still get almost a year in jail—for poverty "offenses" like trespassing or carrying an open container. We’re disappointed, but not surprised. And we're not done. Next steps coming soon.

⏰ Time’s running out to act on HB25-1147. ⏰ Gov. Polis has heard from hundreds—but he needs to hear from hundreds more. Tell him: SIGN HB25-1147 to stop excessive jail time for things like trespassing + camping. Get our 5-min action kit here 👉 bit.ly/SignHB1147

We wish all moms and caretakers a happy Mother’s Day, and we hold close the 2,000+ Colorado moms who will spend today in a cage.

The 2025 Colorado state legislative session is done. Here’s where CFF’s bills landed: ✅ 1015: Bond pay fixes—SIGNED. ✅ 1276: Anti-unhoused bill—DEFEATED. ⏳ 1147: Court fairness—STILL WAITING. A decision’s coming. Help push HB25-1147 across the line: bit.ly/SignHB1147

RIGHT NOW, lawmakers are working on a vital bill that will ensure Coloradans aren’t receiving wildly oversized punishments for low-level offenses. Tell Gov. Polis: Sign HB25-1147. www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-si... @cofreedomfund.bsky.social

@denverpost.com: HB25-1147 would fix CO’s two-tier justice system. But Gov. Polis is threatening to veto it. Tell him: Fairness in courts shouldn't be determined by your zip code. Read the op-ed: denverpost.com/2025/04/17/municipal-court-sentencing-harsh-house-bill-1147 Act: bit.ly/SignHB1147

Many of Colorado’s municipal courts are out of control—and Gov. Polis might let it stay that way. HB25-1147 would rein in these courts and stop extreme jail sentences for poverty offenses. 📞 Call. 📧 Email. Tell Polis: Sign HB25-1147. 👉 coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-sign-now#contact

⏱️ Take 5 minutes for fairness! HB25-1147 brings transparency + legal help to municipal courts. Gov. Polis needs to hear why that matters. 📞 Call. 📧 Email. 📝 Write. 👉 www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-si...

People are getting a year in jail for being unhoused. In Colorado. HB25-1147 would help fix this—if Gov. Polis signs it. Speak up now: coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-si... @cocoalition.bsky.social @policeforreform.bsky.social @acluofcolorado.bsky.social @ccjrc.bsky.social

BREAKING: Gov. Polis is threatening to veto HB25-1147. This bill brings fairness to Colorado’s courts—right now, people are getting more jail time just for being in municipal court. Tell him: Sign the bill. bit.ly/SignHB1147

📣 Gov. Polis needs to hear from you. Colorado’s municipal courts are giving people excessive sentences up for acts of survival—and HB25-1147 would help stop it. Flood his office with calls & emails today: 👉 coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-sign-now#contact

It seems the Colorado legislature will soon pass HB 25-1447, Fairness & Transparency in Municipal Court. @cofreedomfund.bsky.social put together this fact sheet explaining the injustices in CO municipal courts & why this bill is essential. Contact Gov Polis and tell him to sign this bill!

Veto alert! HB25-1147—Municipal Court Fairness—is in danger. Extreme sentences. No counsel. Closed courts. 📞 Call or email Gov. Polis NOW. 📲 Take action: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147-si...

✳️ Action Alert ✳️ HB25-1147 hit the Senate floor TODAY. The bill reins in excessive municipal court sentences + expands access to legal counsel. Tell your Senator: vote YES. 📧 Take action: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147#ac...

Some municipal courts in CO are jailing folks w/o counsel & handing down year-long sentences for things like camping. HB25-1147 would stop that. CFF's Rebecca Wallace spoke up—now it’s your turn. Contact your senator: coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147#action

🎉 It’s official: HB25-1015 is now law! It's a small but crucial fix that clears up confusing rules that kept people caged on cash bond. We're grateful to the sponsors + allies who helped push it through. 🙏🏽 Get on our mailing list for more wins: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/mailing-list

HB25-1276 targets unhoused Coloradans by jailing people for so-called “habitual petty offenses”—aka being poor. It’s up in House Judiciary Committee tomorrow. Tell lawmakers to vote NO. 📣 Take action now: bit.ly/OpposeHB1276

HB25-1147 just passed Senate Judiciary late last night! It reins in harsh municipal court sentences & expands access to legal counsel for people criminalized for poverty. Next stop: Senate floor. Take action: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147#ac...

HB25-1276 is jail-for-poverty legislation. It targets our unhoused neighbors for “offenses” like sleeping outside or missing court. It punishes people for being poor—and it doesn’t make anyone safer. 📣 Tell lawmakers by Wednesday, April 2: VOTE NO on HB25-1276: bit.ly/OpposeHB1276

Next week's an important week at the Capitol. HB25-1147 increases fairness in municipal courts. HB25-1276 + HB25-1146 would do real harm. Take action now: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147#ac... Stay ready. Stay loud. 💪🏾 @acluofcolorado.bsky.social @bonh.bsky.social @cocoalition.bsky.social

We’re halfway through the 2025 session—and the fight’s not over. CFF is pushing to end poverty-based jailing, move good bills forward (HB25-1147, HB25-1015), and stop HB25-1276. Want updates that center liberation, not fear? Sign up here: www.coloradofreedomfund.org/mailing-list

In today’s @coloradosun.com, Sens. @judyamabileco.bsky.social & Mike Weissman lay out why passing HB25-1147 is so urgent: Colorado’s poorest neighbors are facing 30x longer jail sentences—just for landing in the wrong courtroom. Read the op-ed here: coloradosun.com/2025/03/26/o...

People are getting wildly different—and often extreme—sentences in Colorado, just based on where they’re arrested. HB25-1147 passed the House on March 7 and heads to the Senate next week thanks, in large part, to @javiermabrey.bsky.social's sponsorship & advocacy. 1/

Huge thanks to Rep. @javiermabrey.bsky.social & @repyara.bsky.social and Sen. Rodriguez & @senadorajulie.bsky.social for leading the charge to pass HB25-1015, Clarifications to Online Bond Pay. Now, the bill is on to the Governor's desk. Stay tuned. @acluofcolorado.bsky.social @ccjrc.bsky.social

The Aurora Sentinel sees through Aurora’s “tough on crime” nonsense. Editor Dave Perry calls out city leaders for pushing failed policies that do more harm than good. Instead of making communities safer, they’re exacerbating the problem. sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/perr...

Judges don’t get to pick which laws they follow. Colorado courts are req'd to livestream most cases—but some judges are ignoring that law. CFF Founder Elisabeth Epps: “This is about public accountability.” Public access isn’t optional—it’s a right. Read more: ⬇️ www.denverpost.com/2025/03/09/c...

HB25-1015 is one step away from becoming law! ✅🏛️ The Senate passed it 32-1, and now it’s on the Governor’s desk. This bill removes unnecessary barriers to online bond payments, helping families post bond faster—because when freedom is on the line, every minute matters. 📢 Stay tuned for updates!

HB25-1015: Moving Forward! Last week, HB25-1015 cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee—one step closer to making online bond payments easier for families and loved ones. Next up: Senate floor debate. Stay tuned!

Colorado’s municipal courts are jailing people for months over poverty offenses that would mean days behind bars elsewhere. The difference? Their zip code. HB25-1147 stops this injustice. Read more from former CO Asst. AG Jay Fisher in @denverpost.com: www.denverpost.com/2025/03/13/c...

A BIG thank you to the HB25-1147 Coalition! More than 50 organizations are fighting to rein in excessive sentences, expand access to legal counsel, and bring accountability to municipal courts. Now, it’s on to the Senate. Join the fight here: coloradofreedomfund.org/hb25-1147