How the Colorado Attorney General’s Office strengthened the state’s response to domestic violence
The realty in Colorado
Seventy-two Coloradans lost their lives to domestic violence in 2024, according to the most recent Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board report.
Even as overall homicides declined, domestic violence fatalities increased, with firearms involved in 75% of those deaths. Over the past four years, 89% of victims were women or girls, and 90% of perpetrators were men or boys, highlighting the disproportionate impact on women.
Children were also among those harmed. All eight collateral victims in 2024—individuals killed during incidents but not the primary target—were children.
Their stories serve as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to address and prevent domestic violence.
A coordinated response to save lives
As chair of the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, Attorney General Phil Weiser has seen firsthand how warning signs are often present in the domestic violence fatality cases and how earlier intervention could have saved lives.
That is why, in 2023, he announced a $3 million investment to strengthen Colorado’s response to domestic violence through prevention, victim advocacy, and crisis intervention.
Over two years, organizations supported by this funding directly served more than 17,000 survivors and children across Colorado, expanding access to education, legal protection, shelter, and high-risk intervention.
“This funding strengthened the systems that identify danger early, protect survivors, and intervene before violence escalates,” said Attorney General Weiser. “These investments save lives.”
Prevention
Prevention begins long before a 911 call. It starts with education, awareness, and early identification of risk, equipping individuals and communities to recognize warning signs and intervene before violence escalates.
Prevention takes many forms: educating young people about healthy relationships, supporting youth who have already experienced violence, and strengthening the systems around them.
With support from the Attorney General Weiser’s grant:
Photo courtesy of the Rose Andom Center.
Bright Future Foundation reached 2,725 youth and community members across Colorado with domestic violence prevention education focused on healthy relationships and consent. These efforts are driving measurable change: 95% of participating students reported increased understanding of healthy relationships and how to ask for and respect consent.
The organization also expanded mentoring and behavioral health supports for youth, helping young people build resilience, strengthen decision-making skills, and develop healthy relationship patterns early.
Project PAVE focused on early intervention with youth who had already experienced violence. Through 657 therapy sessions and 252 advocacy services, Project PAVE helped young survivors heal from trauma, build coping skills, and develop safer relationship patterns—interrupting cycles of violence before they continue into adulthood.
Together, these efforts reflect a critical truth: domestic violence is often predictable and preventable. By increasing awareness, strengthening coping skills, and creating trusted pathways to support, prevention programs can stop violence before it begins or escalates.
Prevention works when warning signs are recognized — and systems respond.
Victim advocacy
When a survivor reaches out for help, access to legal advocacy can determine whether danger continues or stops.
Through funding awarded to Bridge to Justice:
- 77 survivors received legal services
- Of those cases, 30 survivors received ongoing representation in high-risk family law cases involving imminent danger to children
- Of eight cases involving imminent danger to children, the court found domestic violence occurred in six cases.
One survivor described the difference Bridge to Justice’s legal services made:
“You gave me not just legal help, but emotional strength and the incredible gift of starting over with hope.”
At Colorado Legal Services, 88 domestic violence cases were opened, clients were connected to more than 100 community resource organizations, and client circumstances improved during representation. The funding also expanded language access services for survivors.
Advocacy also means stabilizing families beyond the courtroom.
- The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless provided financial assistance, relocation support, and housing stabilization services for survivors fleeing abuse, addressing one of the greatest barriers to safety: access to stable housing.
- Volunteers of America expanded survivor-centered case management and support services, helping individuals who were escaping violence access shelter, safety planning, and long-term stability.
Through this funding, Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment (DOVE) also expanded workshops, advocacy, and accessible prevention education in American Sign Language — ensuring Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled Coloradans could access lifesaving information and support.
For some survivors, education is the turning point:
“Sabrina went out of her way to explain to me what domestic violence is and what I was experiencing was violence. DOVE gave me the courage to speak up about my experience.”
Advocacy restores more than safety. It restores agency, dignity, justice, and the ability to move forward.
Crisis intervention
For many survivors, help begins with a call made at the most dangerous time of their lives.
Attorney General Weiser’s investment strengthened 24/7 crisis response and shelter systems statewide, ensuring survivors can access immediate, life-saving support when risk is highest.
At Bright Future Foundation:
- 802 crisis line calls were answered
- 5,135 nights of shelter were provided
- 1,000 survivors and children engaged in services
At the Rose Andom Center, more than 560 survivors at the highest risk of serious injury or homicide received direct advocacy and coordinated safety planning. Advocates conducted 275 risk assessments, made over 1,000 outreach attempts, and completed 2,000 follow-ups. Through 90 multidisciplinary case reviews, the program strengthened coordination and improved responses for survivors facing the greatest danger.
Screenshot of a client story video (opens new tab), courtesy of Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence.
In moments of crisis, compassion matters, as one survivor at Rose Andom Center noted:
“My advocate was understanding and caring… Jalice explained everything with kindness.”
PeaceWorks strengthened its Domestic Violence Response Team and implemented a Law Enforcement Advocate Partnership model, ensuring survivors are connected to advocates at the earliest point of contact.
At Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), law enforcement used lethality assessments that resulted in 898 high-risk referrals, a 76% increase compared to the previous year. Early identification matters.
Other grantees provided relocation assistance, emergency motel stays, transportation, and help securing vital documents — often within hours of someone fleeing danger.
Crisis intervention is often the line between survival and tragedy.
Building a safer future for Colorado families
Domestic violence prevention and response require coordination across schools, courts, shelters, law enforcement, and community organizations. This $3 million investment strengthened Colorado’s infrastructure to identify risk earlier, expand legal protections, provide culturally responsive services, and deliver immediate crisis response.
More than 17,000 survivors and children were directly served because of this funding. Behind every number is a person who found safety, a child who remained protected, and a survivor given the opportunity to heal, rebuild, and move toward a brighter future.
If you are in a crisis or need immediate support, dial 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). For a comprehensive list of resources available throughout Colorado, please visit www.violencefreecolorado.org (opens new tab).