A Colorado bill aimed at tightening strip-search rules and curbing sexual abuse in jails was paused earlier this month so lawmakers can align its language with existing laws and standards governing searches and surveillance.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted April 8 to hit pause on HB26-1123 until amendments could be made.
The bill would limit strip searches and access to strip-search footage, expand reporting requirements and whistleblower protections for jail staff, and ensure inmates are aware of their rights and available resources in sexual abuse cases.
The bill – Preventing Sexual Abuse in Jails – was introduced in mid-February by Colorado lawmakers, including Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, who represents House District 59.
It was partly inspired by a case involving former La Plata County Jail Capt. Edward Aber, who is accused of viewing strip-search videos of at least 117 inmates for sexual gratification.
Three alleged victims and a former La Plata County sheriff’s deputy spoke in support of the bill at the Capitol on March 11.
For support
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, support can be found by calling the Sexual Assault Services Organization’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 247-5400 or visiting You Have the Right’s support services page at www.youhavetherightco.org/support-services/
Some law enforcement officials have raised concerns with the bill’s language, scope and requirements, including during the April 8 hearing.
Cmdr. Drew Odeman of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said he supports the bill’s intent, but believes some of the bill’s existing language could cause delays and staffing strain for jail employees.
Jeff Getz, division chief at the Boulder County Jail, said the bill as drafted conflicts with existing strip-search statutes and jail standards.
Meagan Danitz, captain of detention operations for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, expressed support for preventing sexual abuse in jails, but said the bill’s video access and logging requirements could undermine jail safety and emergency response efforts.
Sen. Judy Amabile, one of the bill’s supporters, said the bill is not meant to be anti-law enforcement.
“This isn’t a bill about punishing law enforcement,” she said during the April 8 session. “This is a bill about putting guardrails around these processes and this situation that has been brought to light by the case that happened in Durango.”
Sen. Mike Weissman, another of the bill’s sponsors, communicated an intention by the sponsorship team to continue fine-tuning the bill.
“We will get to work resolving some of the details that have been spoken of,” he said. “We look forward to coming back to the committee soon.”
No exact timeline for revisiting the bill was determined during the session.
Aber was accused in July of using his administrative access to evidence.com to watch strip-search videos – which depicted “close-up vantage points of the intimate parts of at least 117 female inmates” – more than 3,000 times between Feb. 14, 2019, and Jan. 14, 2024, according to an arrest affidavit. He was charged with 118 misdemeanors.
He pleaded not guilty in March, turning down a plea deal that one attorney and some victims viewed as lenient. A trial date was set for August.
epond@durangoherald.com
