DENVER — A Colorado bill aimed at preventing sexual abuse in jails is nearing final passage, following a disturbing case out of La Plata County in which a former jail commander faces more than 100 charges tied to the alleged misuse of strip search recordings.
Suzanne Garcia is one of 117 women the former La Plata County Jail commander is accused of taking advantage of.
"When I found out that I was a victim, I shriveled up. I cried. I did not leave my house for two days, because there was a sense of just absolute humiliation," Garcia said.
Court documents show the former jail commander, Edward Aber, faces more than 100 charges after investigators found several female inmate strip search videos were accessed and viewed by his account between 2019 and 2024. That criminal case is still ongoing.
Crime
Strip search recordings allegedly used for jail leader's sexual gratification
Since then, Garcia and other survivors have fought for change.
"Sometimes you feel really powerless, and especially as somebody who has been incarcerated, you're stripped of your dignity, you feel powerless, you feel ashamed, and this just took all of those feelings to a new low," Garcia said.
Politics
Lawmakers consider banning body-worn cameras from certain strip searches
Garcia said the fight for this legislation became both an opportunity and a responsibility.
"We had an opportunity, we had an obligation to do something," Garcia said.
House Bill 1123 has already cleared both chambers and is expected to receive final approval from the House soon, after which it heads to Gov. Jared Polis.
A spokesperson for Polis issued the following statement after a request for comment on the bill potentially being passed.
“The Governor supports efforts to stop sexual abuse in Colorado jails, and ensure the safety and protect the well being of inmates in Colorado jails. The Governor will review the final version of the bill if it reaches his desk.”
Democratic Rep. Katie Stewart brought forward the legislation, which would establish new requirements around strip searches inside county jails after the initial intake process. Those requirements include documentation from two jail employees explaining why a strip search occurred. Body cameras would also be turned off if another form of surveillance is already present in the room.
Stewart said one of the most significant changes came through an amendment addressing group searches.
"I think the largest change that we're looking at is an amendment to address group searches, should there be contraband, and they're not quite sure where that contraband is, so we worked on an amendment with the sheriffs and the county attorneys to address that concern in county jails," Stewart said.
Per the Colorado Secretary of State website, no organizations are registered in opposition to the bill. The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault is among the groups supporting it.
"This has really been a full circle moment to get here where we are looking at, you know, the bill passing and becoming law and really honoring the courage of survivors who stood up and demanded change, and the strength of them and their voices," shared Elizabeth Newman, director of public policy for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
For Garcia, the bill's significance extends beyond the survivors directly affected by the La Plata County case.
"This is not just for the victims. This is for law enforcement officers as well, because the one bad egg in this group has tarnished everybody in the sheriff's department and those guys, men and women out there, extraordinary people, and we just need to make sure that they're not subject to this in the future," Garcia said.
The bill was expected to receive final approval from the Colorado House on Wednesday after amendments were made in the Senate, but the vote was delayed. It is expected to pass on Thursday.
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