Honoring the Bravery of Durango Victim-Survivors During Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Victim-Survivors from Durango Testified to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Jails
WFCO Fundholder Acted Quickly to Elevate Their Voices
In March, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado got a birds-eye view into the courage and power of victim-survivors stories. We also witnessed the power of philanthropy when one of our donor-advised fundholders helped elevate their stories in the most impactful way – to change a system.
Responding to a Time-Sensitive Funding Opportunity to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Jails
In February, the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA) reached out to WFCO about a time-sensitive funding opportunity.
A group of the victim-survivors from Durango who were previously in the justice system and catalysts for HB26-1123 (Preventing Sexual Abuse in Jails) expressed a desire to testify at the first committee hearing at the State Capitol in March. They were among 18 incarcerated women who filed a class action lawsuit against a former La Plata County Jail commander who is accused of viewing recordings of more than 100 women’s strip searches for sexual gratification.
Because of expired federal relief funds, delayed grants, and reduced Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds – victim-services organizations rarely have a budget for travel. But the women shared that it would be healing and empowering to share their stories in person at the Capitol to help prevent what happened to them from happening to anyone else.
WFCO staff alerted our donor-advised fundholders of the opportunity to support the survivors through Durango Sexual Assault Services Organization (SASO), the organization providing logistical and emotional support to them.
WFCO fundholder and Trustee Lori Feehan quickly stepped in, moving $5,000 from her donor-advised fund to cover the six-hour drive from Durango and two nights at a hotel for those who wanted to testify to help prevent sexual abuse in jails.
House Bill Would Limit Strip Searches While Creating Protection for Whistleblowers
Spearheaded by CCASA, HB26-1123 was introduced in response to a disturbing pattern of sexual violence cases in Colorado jails, including the case in La Plata County. HB26-1123 would help prevent sexual abuse in jails by limiting strip searches and adding restrictions and reporting requirements. The bill also would create whistleblower protection policies for jail staff and adds measures for inmates to know their rights and the resources available to them if they are a victim of sexual abuse while in jail.
CCASA is a statewide membership organization for survivors and community-based advocacy programs to have a voice at the State Capitol. SASO is a member program and one of only a handful of organizations focused solely on sexual assault in Colorado. Together, they determined systems change was needed to prevent sexual abuse in jails.
CCASA leads the broad coalition of supporting organizations that are championing HB26-1123. Alongside the bill’s lead sponsors, Reps. Katie Stewart and Javier Mabrey and Sens. Judy Amabile and Mike Weissman, CCASA is collaborating with survivors from the La Plata County Jail case, SASO, WFCO, and other communities impacted by sexual violence in jails.
Thanks to the testimony of the survivors on March 11 before the House Judiciary committee, HB26-1123 passed the House with a vote of 44 to 20 on April 2 and now moves to the Senate.
The Power of Survivors’ Stories for Change
Katrina Lile, one of the women who testified in Denver, was thrilled by the House Judiciary committee’s passing of the bill in March after testifying.
“We were overjoyed to hear that the bill passed; seeing that update provided instant relief for all of us.
While it is unfortunate that these circumstances brought us together, my family and I are eternally grateful for your support and for being our voice. Thank you again for standing behind us,” said Katrina about the partnership between CCASA, SASO, and The Women’s Foundation of Colorado to support their testimonies.”
Lauren Roberts, director of public relations for CCASA, was pleased that the survivors had the opportunity to advocate directly on behalf of the bill.
“What I find over and over for me personally and survivors who come to CCASA is that when you go through something traumatic, you want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else again,” she said.
Onnastasia Cole, CCASA policy and outreach manager, echoed her appreciation for the survivors’ courage and vulnerability.
“Thank you for sharing your stories with us, sitting through a long series of questions, and calling on the legislature to act so that the trauma you’ve all endured does not continue to happen to others. The CCASA team is truly in awe of each one of you and is grateful for your work to help get us to this point.”
Take Action on HB26-1123
Contact your Colorado state senators now to let them know you support HB26-1123. You can reference the bravery of Colorado survivors, such as Suzanne Garcia, who testified so that what happened to them doesn’t happen to other women.
Additionally, you can show your support for survivors by taking part in Colorado Denim Day on April 29 and joining CCASA at Champagne Tiger for a community gathering that evening.
Survivors from Durango and advocates from the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA), Sexual Assault Services Organization (SASO), and The Blue Bench pose for a photo before testifying at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 11, 2026. (Photo courtesy of CCASA)
