(1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
The number of victims of crime increases daily;
These victims suffer undue hardship by virtue of physical, mental, and emotionalinjury or loss of property;
Persons found guilty of causing such suffering are under a moral and legal obligationto make adequate restitution and restoration to those injured by their conduct;
Restitution and restoration provided by criminal offenders to their victims may beinstruments of rehabilitation for offenders and may contribute to the healing and improved emotional well-being of their victims.
(2) The purpose of this article is to encourage the establishment of programs to provide for restitution to and restoration of victims of crime by offenders who are sentenced, or who have been released on parole, or who are being held in local correctional and detention facilities. It is the intent of the general assembly that restitution be utilized wherever feasible to restore losses to the victims of crime and to aid the offender in reintegration as a productive member of society. It is also the purpose of this article to promote establishment of victim-offender conferences in the institutions under the control of the department of corrections, using restorative justice practices as defined in section 18-1-901 (3)(o.5), C.R.S.
Source: L. 77: Entire title R&RE, p. 947, § 10, effective August 1. L. 2011: Entire section amended, (HB 11-1032), ch. 296, p. 1400, § 2, effective August 10.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 27-28-101 as it existed prior to 1977.