Young Adult Offenses in Boulder Municipal Court Data Dashboard

This data is from the Boulder court’s records management system and from substance use screens. Minor in Possession of Alcohol and Marijuana, together with Quality of Life violations committed by young adults aged 18 to 25, are examined as a proxy for the quality of life in neighborhoods impacted by young adult behavior. Minor in Possession (MIP) data also offers insight into youth substance use in our community.

This report also contains information on substance use screens used by the Boulder Municipal Court for young adults receiving these substance use violations. AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and CUDIT-R (Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test) screening tools are given to young adults who receive MIP of Alcohol and MIP of Marijuana violations, respectively. The screening tools are self-reported and a higher overall score indicates higher substance use dependence.

The Boulder Municipal Court does not have set numeric targets for select young adult offenses and is tracking program data at this time. The Boulder Municipal Court aims to decrease the number of Minor in Possession (MIP) and Quality of Life violations for young adults and to decrease the substance abuse dependence scores in substance use screens given to those receiving these violations.

Substance use by young adults is particularly prevalent in college communities such as Boulder. Substance use, including binge drinking, is one of the most serious public health issues for young adults in the U.S. (SAMHSA substance abuse facts report) . As of 2017, Colorado was eleventh in the country for past-month and binge use of alcohol by 18 to 25 year olds, but it was third in the country for past-year marijuana use, outranked only by the District of Columbia and Vermont (SAMHSA state prevalence estimates report). Understanding young adult marijuana use locally is important, given the ready availability of marijuana in a legal environment and emerging data about the potential for negative health impacts.

As measured by number of cases filed, there has been an overall decline in Alcohol MIPs, as well as in Noise and Nuisance Party violations. Likewise, AUDIT scores, which are sometimes viewed as a measure of hazardous or harmful drinking, show an overall decline. Party Registration, Restorative Justice, Community Living Classes, and evidence-based substance use treatment are all seen as contributing to this encouraging trend. Generally, Marijuana MIP cases are more prevalent. Perhaps more significantly, CUDIT-R scores, which correlate with quantity and frequency of cannabis use, have also shown a significant increase.

This data is provided by the City of Boulder's Municipal Court. This page will be updated annually.