Colorado State Prisons

The following is a summary of the Colorado State Prison System including reference sources:

Overview

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) operates 20 state prisons housing around 14,000 inmates.[1] The state’s incarceration rate is 356 per 100,000 residents, which is lower than the national average of 419 per 100,000.[2]

Locating a Prisoner

Family and friends can locate an inmate using the CDOC’s Offender Search system online. It provides information on the inmate’s location, release date, and parole eligibility.[3]

Visitation Rules

Visitation policies vary by facility but generally allow visits on weekends and holidays. Visitors must be approved and added to the inmate’s visitor list. The number of visitors allowed per visit may be limited due to space constraints. All visitors are subject to search.[4]

Colorado Security Classifications

CDOC classifies inmates into five security levels: minimum, minimum-restricted, medium, close, and administrative segregation. Classification is based on factors such as offense severity, sentence length, and institutional behavior. Lower security levels offer more privileges and programming.[5]

Parole and Factors Considered

The Colorado Board of Parole makes parole decisions based on factors such as the offender’s criminal history, institutional behavior, victim input, and risk assessments. Inmates are eligible for parole after serving a certain percentage of their sentence, depending on the offense. If granted parole, offenders are supervised in the community.[6]

Educational and Vocational Programs

CDOC offers various programs to promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, including adult basic education, GED preparation, vocational training (e.g., construction, culinary arts, welding), and college courses through partnerships with community colleges. Some programs offer industry-recognized certifications.[7]

Colorado State Prisons Pros and Cons:

Colorado’s prison system has made efforts to reduce recidivism through evidence-based programs and re-entry initiatives. The state has also implemented reforms to reduce the use of solitary confinement and improve mental health services.[8] However, challenges remain, such as staff shortages, high turnover rates, and the need for more funding to expand rehabilitative programs.[9]

Colorado State Prison News – Spike In Drug Confiscations – (CNBC News)

Web References and Sources

[1] Colorado Department of Corrections, Facilities  
[2] The Sentencing Project, State-by-State Data 
[3] Colorado Department of Corrections, Offender Search
[4] Colorado Department of Corrections, Visiting a Facility  
[5] Colorado Department of Corrections, Offender Classification 
[6] Colorado Board of Parole  
[7] Colorado Department of Corrections, Educational Programs [8] ACLU of Colorado, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Colorado’s Continued Warehousing of Mentally Ill Prisoners in Solitary Confinement” 
[9] Colorado Department of Corrections, Annual Report FY 2019 

COLORADO STATE PRISONS:

Arrowhead Correctional Center

Arrowhead Correctional Center
E. US Highway 50 & Evans Blvd
Cañon City, CO, 81212

Telephone: (719) 269-5601

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Arrowhead Correctional Center
PO Box 300
Cañon City, CO 81215

Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility

Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
12750 Highway 96
Crowley, CO, 81034

Telephone: (719) 267-3520

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
12750 Highway 96
Ordway, CO 81034

If you are mailing books, magazines, newspapers you may need to use:
Inmate Name, ID Number
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
12750 Highway 96 at Lane 13
Ordway, CO 81034

Buena Vista Correctional Complex

Buena Vista Correctional Complex
15125 Highway 24 & 285
Buena Vista, CO 81211

Telephone: (719) 395-2404

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Buena Vista Correctional Facility
P. O. Box 2017
Buena Vista, CO, 81211

Inmate Name, ID Number
Buena Vista Minimum Center
P. O. Box 2005
Buena Vista, CO, 81211

Colorado Correctional Center

Colorado Correctional Center
15445 South Golden Road
Golden, CO, 80401

Telephone: (303) 273-1620

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Colorado Correctional Center
P. O. Box 4020
Golden, CO, 80401

Centennial Correctional Facility

Centennial Correctional Facility
E. US Highway 50 & Evans Blvd
Cañon City, CO, 81212

Telephone: (719) 269-5510

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID
Centennial Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 777
Cañon City, CO, 81215

Colorado State Penitentiary

Colorado State Penitentiary
E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd
Cañon City, CO, 81215

Telephone: (719) 269-5120

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Colorado State Penitentiary
P.O. Box 777
Cañon City, CO, 81215

Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility

Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility
275 West US Highway 50
Canon City, CO, 81215

Telephone: (719) 269-4002

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1010
Canon City, CO, 81215-1010

Delta Correctional Center

Delta Correctional Center
11363 Lockhart Road
Delta, CO 81416

Telephone: (970) 874-7614

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Delta Correctional Center
11363 Lockhart Road
Delta, CO 81416

Denver Women’s Correctional Facility

Denver Women’s Correctional Facility
3600 Havana Street
Denver, CO 80239

Telephone: (303) 371-4804

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Denver Women’s Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 392005
Denver, CO, 80239

Fremont Correctional Facility

Sterling Correctional Facility

Sterling Correctional Facility
12101 Hwy 61
Sterling, CO, 80751

Telephone: (970) 521-5010

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Sterling Correctional Facility
PO Box 6000
Sterling, CO, 80751

Trinidad Correctional Facility

Trinidad Correctional Facility
21000 Highway 350 East
Model, CO, 81059

Telephone: (719) 845-3226

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Trinidad Correctional Facility
21000 Highway 350 East
Model, CO 81059

Youthful Offender System

Youthful Offender System
1300 West 13th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003

Telephone: (719) 544-4800

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Youthful Offender System
1300 West 13th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003

Colorado Private Prisons:

Bent County Correctional Facility

Bent County Correctional Facility
11560 Road FF75
Las Animas, CO 81054

Telephone: (719) 456-2610

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID
Bent County Correctional Facility
11560 Road FF75
Las Animas, CO 81054

Cheyenne Mountain Re-entry Center

Cheyenne Mountain Re-entry Center
2925 E. Las Vegas Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Telephone: (719) 390-0125

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Cheyenne Mountain Re-entry Center
2925 E. Las Vegas Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Crowley County Correctional Facility

Crowley County Correctional Facility
6564 State Highway 96
Olney Springs, CO 81062

Telephone: (719) 267-3548

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
Crowley County Correctional Facility
6564 State Highway 96
Olney Springs, CO 81062

Kit Carson Correctional Center

Kit Carson Correctional Center
49777 County Road V
Burlington, CO 80807

Telephone: (719) 346-9450

Inmate Mailing Address:

Inmate Name, ID Number
​Kit Carson Correctional Center
P.O. Box 2000
Burlington, CO 80807

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