diff --git a/public-dashboard-client/src/page-prison/PagePrison.js b/public-dashboard-client/src/page-prison/PagePrison.js
index 2d096336..d8539554 100644
--- a/public-dashboard-client/src/page-prison/PagePrison.js
+++ b/public-dashboard-client/src/page-prison/PagePrison.js
@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@ export default function PagePrison() {
   // doing this inside the render loop rather than in an effect
   // to prevent an intermediate state from flashing on the chart;
   // the current value check avoids an infinite render loop
-  if (!singleCohortSelected && recidivismDimension !== DIMENSION_KEYS.total) {
+  if (
+    !singleCohortSelected &&
+    // we don't need to reset the dimension if no cohorts are selected
+    selectedCohorts.length > 1 &&
+    recidivismDimension !== DIMENSION_KEYS.total
+  ) {
     setRecidivismDimension(DIMENSION_KEYS.total);
   }
 
diff --git a/public-dashboard-client/src/tooltip/Tooltip.js b/public-dashboard-client/src/tooltip/Tooltip.js
index f8556851..28d4c353 100644
--- a/public-dashboard-client/src/tooltip/Tooltip.js
+++ b/public-dashboard-client/src/tooltip/Tooltip.js
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+// Recidiviz - a data platform for criminal justice reform
+// Copyright (C) 2020 Recidiviz, Inc.
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+// =============================================================================
+
 import PropTypes from "prop-types";
 import React from "react";
 import styled from "styled-components";
@@ -23,6 +40,17 @@ const TooltipWrapper = styled.div`
   }
 `;
 
+const LabelColorSwatch = styled.div`
+  background-color: ${(props) => props.color};
+  /* border: 1px solid ${(props) => props.theme.colors.bodyLight}; */
+  border-radius: 0.5em;
+  display: inline-block;
+  height: 0.8em;
+  margin-right: 0.5em;
+  vertical-align: baseline;
+  width: 0.8em;
+`;
+
 const TooltipTitle = styled.div`
   color: ${(props) => props.theme.colors.infoPanelTitle};
 
@@ -53,7 +81,10 @@ const TooltipRecord = styled.div`
 const TooltipLabel = styled.div`
   .InfoPanel & {
     font-size: 16px;
-    opacity: 0.6;
+
+    .TooltipLabel__text {
+      opacity: 0.6;
+    }
   }
 `;
 const TooltipValue = styled.div`
@@ -91,9 +122,14 @@ export const Tooltip = ({ title, records }) => {
     <TooltipWrapper>
       <TooltipTitle>{title}</TooltipTitle>
       <TooltipRecordList>
-        {records.map(({ label, value, pct }, i) => (
+        {records.map(({ color, label, value, pct }, i) => (
           <TooltipRecord key={label || i}>
-            {label && <TooltipLabel>{label}</TooltipLabel>}
+            {label && (
+              <TooltipLabel>
+                {color && <LabelColorSwatch color={color} />}
+                <span className="TooltipLabel__text">{label}</span>
+              </TooltipLabel>
+            )}
             <TooltipValue>
               {typeof value === "number" ? formatAsNumber(value) : value}
             </TooltipValue>
@@ -110,6 +146,7 @@ export const Tooltip = ({ title, records }) => {
 Tooltip.propTypes = {
   records: PropTypes.arrayOf(
     PropTypes.shape({
+      color: PropTypes.string,
       label: PropTypes.string,
       value: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.number, PropTypes.string])
         .isRequired,
diff --git a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/RecidivismRatesChart.js b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/RecidivismRatesChart.js
index 06e8ccaa..33eb2d31 100644
--- a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/RecidivismRatesChart.js
+++ b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/RecidivismRatesChart.js
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export default function RecidivismRatesChart({ data, highlightedCohort }) {
               lines={data}
               margin={MARGIN}
               otherChartProps={{
-                xExtent: [1, 10],
+                xExtent: [0, 10],
               }}
               size={[width, 475]}
               tooltipControllerProps={{
@@ -113,11 +113,12 @@ export default function RecidivismRatesChart({ data, highlightedCohort }) {
                   const currentPeriod = d.followupYears;
                   return {
                     title: `${currentPeriod} year${
-                      currentPeriod > 1 ? "s" : ""
+                      currentPeriod === 1 ? "" : "s"
                     } since release`,
                     records: d.points
                       .filter((p) => p.data.followupYears === currentPeriod)
                       .map((p) => ({
+                        color: p.parentLine.color,
                         label: p.parentLine.label,
                         pct: p.data.recidivismRate,
                         value: `${p.data.recidivated_releases} of ${p.data.releases}`,
diff --git a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.js b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.js
index e79dbce2..ba4dd3d0 100644
--- a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.js
+++ b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.js
@@ -31,16 +31,36 @@ import {
 } from "../utils";
 import RecidivismRatesChart from "./RecidivismRatesChart";
 
+/**
+ * adds an initial record to each series for year zero with rate zero.
+ * Helps to make the initial point in the line chart more visible,
+ * especially for lines that would otherwise only have one point.
+ */
+function prependZero(records) {
+  const zeroRecord = {
+    ...records[0],
+    followupYears: 0,
+    recidivated_releases: "0",
+    recidivismRate: 0,
+  };
+  return [zeroRecord, ...records];
+}
+
 /**
  * When multiple cohorts are selected, or a single cohort and the `total` dimension,
  * will return one data series per cohort.
  * Otherwise (i.e., a single cohort and some dimensional breakdown is selected),
  * will return one data series per demographic subgroup.
  */
-function prepareChartData({ data, dimension, selectedCohorts }) {
+function prepareChartData({
+  data,
+  dimension,
+  highlightedCohort,
+  selectedCohorts,
+}) {
   const showDemographics =
     selectedCohorts &&
-    selectedCohorts.length === 1 &&
+    selectedCohorts.length <= 1 &&
     dimension !== DIMENSION_KEYS.total;
 
   const filteredData = data.filter(recordIsTotalByDimension(dimension));
@@ -54,11 +74,11 @@ function prepareChartData({ data, dimension, selectedCohorts }) {
         ),
         (d) => d[DIMENSION_DATA_KEYS[dimension]]
       ),
-      ([key, value]) => {
+      ([key, records]) => {
         return {
           key,
           label: DIMENSION_MAPPINGS.get(dimension).get(key),
-          coordinates: value,
+          coordinates: prependZero(records),
         };
       }
     )
@@ -68,11 +88,11 @@ function prepareChartData({ data, dimension, selectedCohorts }) {
   return (
     Array.from(
       group(filteredData, (d) => d.releaseCohort),
-      ([key, value]) => {
+      ([key, records]) => {
         return {
           key,
           label: key,
-          coordinates: value,
+          coordinates: prependZero(records),
         };
       }
     )
@@ -83,6 +103,10 @@ function prepareChartData({ data, dimension, selectedCohorts }) {
         if (!selectedCohorts) {
           return true;
         }
+        // highlighted cohort is included even if it's not selected
+        if (highlightedCohort && highlightedCohort.label === record.label) {
+          return true;
+        }
         return selectedCohorts.some(({ id }) => id === record.label);
       })
   );
@@ -94,6 +118,7 @@ export default function VizRecidivismRates({
   const chartData = prepareChartData({
     data: recidivismRates,
     dimension,
+    highlightedCohort,
     selectedCohorts,
   });
 
diff --git a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.test.js b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.test.js
index 986f2d5c..ef65efaa 100644
--- a/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.test.js
+++ b/public-dashboard-client/src/viz-recidivism-rates/VizRecidivismRates.test.js
@@ -83,6 +83,22 @@ test("renders one line per cohort", () => {
   expect(getMainByLabelText("7 lines in a line chart")).toBeVisible();
 });
 
+test("renders the highlighted cohort even if it's not selected", () => {
+  const dimension = DIMENSION_KEYS.total;
+
+  render(
+    <VizRecidivismRates
+      data={{
+        dimension,
+        highlightedCohort: allSelectedCohorts[8],
+        recidivismRates: recidivismRatesFixture,
+        selectedCohorts: allSelectedCohorts.slice(0, 5),
+      }}
+    />
+  );
+  expect(getMainByLabelText("6 lines in a line chart")).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test("renders one line per demographic subgroup", () => {
   const dimension = DIMENSION_KEYS.race;
   render(