Are Colorado Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes, according to the Colorado Open Records Act, inmate records are available to members of the public for inspection. The Colorado Corrections Records Archives provides information about inmates, their biography, information about the crime committed, their sentences, and pardons where applicable. A Colorado inmate search can be conducted using the full name, birth date, and location of the inmate.
Colorado Inmate Search
Inmate records contain official records of individuals detained, booked, or incarcerated in correctional inmate facilities at the county or state level in Colorado. These documents are available to interested members of the public per the Colorado Open Records Act.
Persons who conduct a Colorado inmate search to obtain inmate records can expect to see the inmate's name and other personal information, physical descriptors, recent mugshot, as well as details of the offender's sentence and conviction. Besides these, public requesters also get to see the inmate's assigned facility, release date, and parole eligibility date (if applicable). The Colorado Department of Corrections provides this information, including the Colorado inmate mugshots, for easier recognition.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including the state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Find Someone in Jail in Colorado
Persons who seek to find someone in jail in Colorado can check with the local sheriff’s office to request inmate records. Requesters can conduct a Colorado inmate search on the online database maintained by the Sheriff’s office in the county where the inmate is in jail. This database is made accessible to the members of the public for their safety. Those seeking information can find out why someone is in jail and find out what jail someone is in. An inquirer can also visit the office in person to make inquiries and/or carry out searches.
For inquirers seeking to find someone in jail or prison, the Colorado Department of Correction provides inmate look-up tools that allow interested individuals to find an incarcerated person or check who’s in custody. A requester can also search third-party sites that offer this service.
Facilities Operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The oversight of Colorado's correction system falls under the Colorado Department of Correction (CDOC). This state agency manages 20 correctional inmate facilities where over 20,000 offenders are incarcerated.
Colorado Department of Corrections Headquarters
1250 Academy Park Loop,
Colorado Springs,
CO 80910, United States
Phone: (719) 579-9580
Arrowhead Correctional Center – ACC
E. U.S. Highway 50 & Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81212
Phone: (719) 269-5601
Fax: (719) 269-5650
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 300
Canon City, CO 81215-0300
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility - AVCF
12750 Highway 96, Lane 13
Ordway, CO 81034
Phone: (719) 267-3520
Fax: (719) 267-5024
Mailing Address:
12750 Highway 96
Ordway, CO 81034
Buena Vista Correctional Facility - BVCC
15125 Highway 24 & 285
Buena Vista, CO 81211
Phone: (719) 395-2404
Fax: (719) 395-7214
Mailing Address:
BVCF
P.O. Box 2017
Buena Vista, CO 81211
BVMC
P.O. Box 2005
Buena Vista, CO 81211
Colorado Correctional Center - CCC
15445 South Golden Road.
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: (303) 273-1620
Fax: (303) 279-4407
Mailing Address:
Colorado Correctional Center
15445 South Golden Road
Golden, Colorado 80401
Centennial Correctional Facility - CCF
East U.S. Highway 50 Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81215
Phone: (719) 269-4810
Fax: (719) 269-5545
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 600
Canon City, CO 81215
Colorado State Penitentiary - CSP
E U.S. Highway 50 Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81215
Phone: (719) 269-5120
Fax: (719) 269-5125
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 777
Cañon City, CO 81215
Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility - CTCF
275 West U.S. Highway 50
Canon City, CO 81215
Phone: (719) 275-4181
Fax: (719) 269-4115
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1010
Canon City, CO 81215-1010
Delta Correctional Center – DCC
11363 Lockhart Road
Delta, CO 81416
Phone: (970) 874-7614
Fax: (970) 874-5810
Mailing Address:
11363 Lockhart Road
Delta, CO 81416
Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center - DRDC
10900 Smith Road
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (303) 371-4804
Fax: (303) 307-2514
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 392004
Denver, CO 80239
Denver Women's Correctional Facility - DWCF
3600 Havana Street
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (303) 371-4804
Fax: (303) 307-2514
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 392005
Denver, CO 80239
Fremont Correctional Facility - FCF
East U.S. Highway 50 Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81215
Phone: (719) 269-5002
Fax: (719) 269-5020
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 999
Canon City, CO 81215
Four Mile Correctional Center - FMCC
East U.S. Highway 50 & Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81212
Phone: (719) 269-5601
Fax: (719) 269-5343
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 300
Canon City, CO 81215-0300
Limon Correctional Facility – LCF
49030 State Highway 71 South
Limon, CO 80826
Phone: (719) 775-9221
Fax: (719) 775-7607
Mailing Address:
49030 Colorado 71 South
Limon, CO 80826
La Vista Correctional Facility - LVCF
1401 West 17th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: (719) 544-4800
Fax: (719) 583-5909
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 3
Pueblo, CO 81002
Rifle Correctional Center – RCC
200 County Road 219
Rifle, CO 81650
Phone: (970) 625-7578
Fax: (970) 625-7565
Mailing Address:
200 County Road 219
Rifle, CO 81650
San Carlos Correctional Facility - SCCF
410 West 13th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: (719) 544-4800
Fax: (719) 583-5510
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 3
Pueblo, CO 8100
Skyline Correctional Center – SCC
East US Highway 50 & Evans Boulevard
Canon City, CO 81212
Phone: (719) 269-5601
Fax: (719) 269-5404
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 300
Canon City, CO 81215-0300
Sterling Correctional Facility-SCF
12101 Highway 61
Sterling, CO 80751
Phone: (970) 521-5010
Fax: (970) 521-8225
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6000
Sterling, CO 80751
Trinidad Correctional Facility - TCF
21000 Highway 350 East
Model, CO 81059
Phone: (719) 845-3226
Fax: (719) 845-3237
Mailing Address:
21000 Highway 350 East
Model, CO 81059
Youthful Offender System – YOS
1300 West 13th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: (719) 544-4800
Fax: (719) 583-5755
Mailing Address:
1300 West 13th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
Private Prisons
Bent County Correctional Facility – BCCF
11560 Road FF75
Las Animas, CO 81054
Phone: (719) 456-2610
Fax: (719) 456-2615
Mailing Address:
11560 Road FF75
Las Animas, CO 81054
Cheyenne Mountain Re-entry Center – CMRC
2925 East Las Vegas Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: (719) 390-0125
Fax: (719) 390-8151
Mailing Address:
2925 E. Las Vegas Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Crowley County Correctional Facility – CCCF
6564 State Highway 96
Olney Springs, CO 81062
Phone: (719) 267-3548
Fax: (719) 267-4517
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 100
Olney Springs, CO 81062
How Do I Send Money to an Inmate in Colorado Prisons or Jails?
Friends and family members can send money to an offender using three payment companies: GTL, Western Union, and JPay. All three companies provide electronic mediums for payments. Members of the public can make electronic payments to incarcerated parties by either:
- Paying online using a debit or credit card
- Making payments over the phone using a credit or debit card
Interested persons can also make physical payments at any of the company locations in any part of the country. However, the amount of time required to process a payment and the rate for payment varies depending on the time of payment and the type of payment method used.
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Colorado Prisons and Jails
Anyone may visit an inmate as long as their name appears on the inmate's approved visitors list. Generally, intending visitors must visit the jail admin office to obtain and complete a visitor application form - mail-in requests are also possible. Meanwhile, minors under 18 must submit a visitation form with the signature of the parent or legal guardian authorizing the visit.
The exact number of visitors permitted and the length of the visits varies with different facilities, depending on the amount of space and the facility's schedule. Most Colorado facilities have a dress code - it is best to wear business-style clothing or dress semi-casual for visits.
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Colorado.
Individuals seeking a Colorado inmate roster can access it by visiting the Colorado Department of Corrections database to find inmate jail roster mugshots and other details. Members of the public who seek access to the inmate roster in Colorado can also obtain it from the database managed by the Sheriff's office where the inmate was documented. The log would tell who’s in jail, the crime committed, and custody status, including release dates. This data is made available for public safety.
How Do I Contact an Inmate in Colorado Prisons or Jails?
The public can contact offenders incarcerated in a Colorado facility by email, telephone, or U.S. mail. Generally, the sender must know the inmate's facility - confirm this by performing a Colorado prison inmate search - and send messages per departmental policies.
Phone calls are managed by the Colorado Inmate Phone System, while emails are sent over the JPay platform. Callers must have an active account to receive calls from currently incarcerated persons, while emails will require an active JPay account and an inmate DOC number. Messages sent by U.S. mail should include an addressed envelope that features the
- Offender's name
- Offender number
- Facility name and mailing address
- Return address.
How to Perform a Colorado Prison Inmate Search
The Colorado Department of Correction provides public access to general inmate information via a prison lookup tool. Members of the public can perform a free inmate search by name or the inmate's DOC number if known. Another way to perform an inmate lookup is to call the facility.
How to Perform a Colorado Jail Inmate Search
Most of the counties in Colorado provide public access to inmate information via the city police or county sheriff's website. For instance, the Denver Sheriff's Department maintains an online Denver, Colorado, inmate search tool that allows searches using a name or booking number. At the same time, the El Paso County Sheriff offers a similar tool that allows interested persons to find a person in jail by booking number or last name. In addition, the Arapahoe County Sheriff provides online Arapahoe inmate information on charges, bonds, and inmate information on its website. At the same time, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office manages a public inmate lookup tool that provides information on persons held in custody. Alternatively, interested parties can obtain information on inmates by contacting the county's support desk or sending a request to the local city police department.
Colorado State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
The primary difference between Colorado prisons and jails is the agency responsible for their oversight. State prisons are controlled by the Colorado DOC, while the local law enforcement departments are in charge of jails.
Colorado state prisons and county jails are also differentiated by the inmates housed in them. As of 2019, the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) operates eight state prisons for men and one women's prison. The DOC also oversees a system of county jails across the state.
Inmates in Colorado state prisons are classified according to their risk level, which is determined by the severity of their offense and criminal history. Low-risk inmates are typically housed in minimum-security facilities, while high-risk inmates are housed in maximum-security prisons.
Colorado's state prisons are located in the following cities: Canon City, Crowley, Denver, Limon, Pueblo, Sterling, and Trinidad. The state's women's prison is located in Denver.
The DOC offers a variety of programs and services to inmates, including education and job training. Inmates can also participate in work release programs, which allow them to work outside of prison while still serving their sentence.
The county sheriff's offices operate Colorado county jails. Inmates in county jails are typically awaiting trial or sentencing, or they may be serving a sentence of less than one year. Jails in Colorado are located in the following cities: Alamosa, Burlington, Cañon City, Durango, Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, La Junta, Lamar, Montrose, Rifle, Salida, and Steamboat Springs.
There are also federal jails for those serving from three years to life sentences or death sentences and juvenile jails for those below the age of 18. To find an inmate in a federal facility, one can carry out a federal inmate search.
How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?
Inmate release dates are generally available for public perusal on the online prison lookup tool. Where the release date is not available via Colorado inmate search, interested persons may contact the record custodian and provide the inmate's name or I.D. number.
Note, however, that an inmate's release date may be confidential if making the information public risks the inmate's safety. In that case, the record custodian will not provide this information during a regular Colorado inmate search but only tell persons with legitimate, tangible reasons, such as the inmate's immediate family members, legal representatives, and authorized criminal justice agency officials.
