Ask how Policy Lens works.
The help assistant selects evidence from the reviewed articles on this page. It does not use an external AI model or take actions.
Reviewed help articles
8 current articles
Getting startedSearch policies and ask questionsSearch all indexed Colorado public sources, narrow by authority, or ask a plain-language question.
+
Search broadly, then narrow when useful
Start with All indexed Colorado public sources when you do not know where the answer lives. You can narrow to state agencies, current executive rules, public-law records, DORA, SOMB, Corrections, or county sources. Policy Lens keeps every result attached to its issuing authority and document type.
Ask a question or browse the library
Use Ask Policy Lens for a plain-language question. Use the source library to browse current rules, rulemaking history, Session Laws, judicial material, Attorney General opinions, department guidance, municipal sources, agency collections, and changing public records. The question box starts blank so you control every submitted question.
Sources and coverageUnderstand source coverageRead coverage labels before relying on a catalog, source map, or full-text answer.
+
Cataloged is not the same as text-indexed
A catalog record proves that Policy Lens identified an official record. A searchable-text label means extraction checks passed. Metadata-only history identifies a record without claiming full text. Current official subset means the published material in scope is indexed, not every historical record. Changing public records refresh separately from policy collections.
Check the currentness and source label
The Trust Center states exactly which collections and dates are covered. Open the cited source and review its effective date, status, definitions, attachments, and exceptions before relying on it. Proposed rules, persuasive opinions, guidance, municipal authority, and metadata-only records remain visibly labeled.
Answers and citationsVerify an answer and its citationsUse evidence status, cited passages, and original-source links to check an answer.
+
Read the evidence status
Direct means a current source states the answer clearly. Supported across sources means more than one current document is required. Conditional means a cited condition or exception matters. Potential conflict means the engine found different directions and did not resolve them. Insufficient means the approved collection could not support an answer.
Open every material citation
To verify an answer, open every material citation. Each evidence card identifies the document, section or page location, authority, and original source link. Review the complete surrounding text because a short passage cannot replace the full policy.
JurisdictionsDistinguish rules, policies, guidance, and local authorityAuthority stays attached to the agency, legislature, court, municipality, county, or other public body that issued the material.
+
Never blend authorities
A current CCR rule, proposed Register notice, Session Law, court opinion, Attorney General opinion, department manual, municipal code, and agency policy do not become interchangeable because they mention the same subject. For example, a Colorado Department of Corrections policy does not automatically govern a county jail. Policy Lens keeps each source connected to its issuing authority and legal status.
Read the document-type label
Current, proposed, adopted, historical, persuasive, guidance, metadata-only, and changing-record labels describe different kinds of authority. Policy Lens retrieves and cites them but does not decide which source controls a person's facts.
Language accessUse Policy Lens in English, Spanish, and assistive technologyThe interface is bilingual and built for keyboard and screen-reader access while controlling official sources may remain in English.
+
Change the interface language
Use the English and Español selector to change navigation, labels, explanations, limitations, Help Center content, and the Parole Board interface. Policy Lens remembers the language preference on the current device.
Use keyboard and screen-reader structure
Skip links, landmarks, labeled controls, visible keyboard focus, live result announcements, table headers, and reduced-motion support are part of the public interface. A Spanish explanation improves access but does not replace an official English publication when the issuing authority has not published a controlling Spanish version.
Trust and safetyKnow what Policy Lens cannot decidePolicy Lens explains public sources but does not make official, legal, disciplinary, medical, or individual decisions.
+
Answers are informational
Policy Lens does not issue an official agency determination, provide legal advice, predict parole or disciplinary outcomes, decide eligibility, or determine how a policy applies to an individual case. The official source and authorized agency process remain controlling.
Do not submit sensitive personal information
Do not put names, identification numbers, medical details, case numbers, passwords, payment information, or other private case facts into a public question. Ask a general policy question and use the appropriate official process for an individual matter.
TroubleshootingImprove a question that has insufficient evidenceAdd the jurisdiction, policy number, role, date, process, or exact error to help retrieval.
+
Add source-oriented context
If the answer says evidence is insufficient, add the department, state, county, jail, policy number, policy topic, relevant role, approximate date, or process you are asking about. Do not add private facts about a person or case.
Check for the wrong collection
A question can fail when the selected authority or document type does not govern the issue. Try All indexed Colorado public sources, or switch among current rules, public-law records, DORA, SOMB, Corrections, state agencies, and county sources. If the gap remains, share a de-identified example through Help improve Policy Lens.
Help assistantHow the help assistant handles questionsThe public help assistant is extractive, rate-limited, and designed to avoid retaining raw questions in its audit log.
+
The public help assistant uses reviewed articles
The public help assistant selects passages from reviewed Policy Lens help articles and returns their citations. It does not use an external model to create the answer, and it cannot take account, legal, or policy actions.
Operational auditing is minimized
The service audit records a question fingerprint, evidence identifiers, status, counts, answer mode, and validation outcome. The operational audit record does not contain the raw question, conversation, answer, or article passage.