Colorado’s “Sex Offender Intensive Supervision” Program

Colorado’s Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program (SOISP) is a required intensive probation program for non-violent, low-risk sex offenders who were not sentenced to prison.

If you are subject to the SOISP, you have many obligations and severe restrictions on your rights. Violating any of these conditions can get you sent to prison to serve out your full sentence.

Below, our Colorado criminal defense lawyers explain what you need to know about Colorado Sex Offender Intensive Supervised Probation.

• 1. Who is eligible for Colorado SOISP?
• 2. How long will sex offender probation last?
• 3. What are the conditions of SOISP probation?

1. Who is eligible for Colorado SOISP?

If you are convicted of a Colorado sex offense, the judge has the discretion to sentence you to probation and Colorado’s sex offender intensive supervision program unless:

• Your sexual offense was a “crime of violence,”
• You are subject to sentencing as a Colorado habitual sex offender, or
• The offense involved sexual penetration or sexual intrusion and at the time of the offense:
  • The victim was under 12 years of age,
  • You were at least 18 years old, and
  • You were at least 10 years older than the victim.

If you fall into any of the above categories, the court must sentence you to the Department of Corrections. Otherwise, sentencing to probation and SOISP is entirely up to the court.

The judge will only approve SOISP as an alternative to incarceration if they believe it would be in both your and the community’s best interest. You are more likely to be granted SOISP if assessment tools indicate that you

• are not a high-risk offender,
• have a low chance of recidivism, and
• pose little threat to public safety.¹

2. How long will sex offender probation last?

If you are sentenced to probation, it will last for at least

• 10 years if you were convicted of a class 4 felony, or
• 20 years if the conviction was for a class 2 felony or class 3 felony.

However, you may be on probation for the rest of your life.²

3. What are the conditions of SOISP probation?

The terms of your Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Probation will include severe restrictions on where you can go, who you can associate with, and what you can do. It is not like regular probation.

Pursuant to C.R.S. 18-1.3-1007, specific requirements include (but are not limited to):

• Participation in an approved sex offender evaluation and sex offender treatment program;
• Sex offender registration in Colorado;
• Genetic marker testing;
• No use of drugs or alcohol;
• No contact with children (even your own);
• No contact with any victim;
• No dating or marriage of anyone with children under 18 unless approved by the state;
• No possession of porn; and
• No change of residence unless approved by the state of Colorado.

Other potential terms that you may be ordered to include:

• Electronic monitoring through a GPS bracelet;
• Substance abuse treatment;
• Mental health counseling by approved treatment providers;
• Unannounced visits from probation officers and law enforcement;
• Curfews;
• Polygraph testing; and/or
• Other forms of community supervision and community corrections.

A violation of any one of these and other conditions is grounds for sending you to prison to serve out the full sentence for your crime.³

For more information on SOISP restrictions and obligations, please see the State of Colorado Judicial Department’s Additional Conditions of Probation for Adult Sex Offenders. Also see the Sex Offender Management Board.

If you or someone you know has been accused of a Colorado sex offense, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation.

Our attorneys also help with bail and release issues at all the state’s jails, including the Larimer County Jail.

Colorado Legal Defense Group
4047 Tejon Street
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 222-0330

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