Colorado Department of Corrections

The Colorado Department of Corrections is the principal department of the Colorado state government<ref>C.R.S. § 24-1-110</ref> that operates the state prisons. It has its headquarters in the Springs Office Park in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, near Colorado Springs.<ref>"FAQ Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on June 3, 2010. "Colorado Department of Corrections 2862 South Circle Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80906"</ref><ref>"Council District Map Template:Webarchive." City of Colorado Springs. Retrieved on December 7, 2009.</ref><ref>"Foreclosure filings jump in March Increase blamed on backlog at S&Ls." The Colorado Springs Gazette. April 6, 1989. Retrieved on September 28, 2011. "[...]million made in 1986 on the Springs Office Park, 2860-2862 S. Circle Drive."</ref> The Colorado Department of Corrections runs 19 state-run prisons and also has been affiliated with 7 for-profit prisons in Colorado, of which the state currently contracts with 2 for-profit prisons.<ref name="Evaluation of Budgeting">"[1]." Evaluation of Colorado Department of Corrections Budgeting Practices. Retrieved on July 9 2025.</ref><ref name="chieftain.com">"[2]." Prison Jobs to Return? Walsenburg currently awaits state's decision. Retrieved on January 18, 2018.</ref>

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State-Run Prisons

• Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility (1029 inmate capacity) (Ordway)
• Arrowhead Correctional Center (520 inmate capacity) (Cañon City)
• Buena Vista Correctional Facility (1034 inmate capacity) (Buena Vista)
• Centennial Correctional Facility (936 inmate capacity) (Cañon City) (Maximum security/mental health facility)
• Colorado State Penitentiary (725 inmate capacity) (Cañon City) (Maximum Security facility)
• Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility (921 inmate capacity) (Cañon City) (Medium security facility)
• Delta Correctional Center (381 inmate capacity) (Delta)
• Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center (570 inmate capacity) (Denver)
• Denver Women's Correctional Facility (768 inmate capacity) (Denver)
• Four Mile Correctional Center (521 inmate capacity) (Cañon City)
• Fremont Correctional Facility (1601 inmate capacity) (Cañon City)
• LaVista Correctional Facility (570 inmate capacity) (Pueblo)
• Limon Correctional Facility (938 inmate capacity) (Limon)
• Rifle Correctional Center (192 inmate capacity) (Rifle)
• San Carlos Correctional Facility (255 inmate capacity) (Pueblo) (mental health facility)
• Skyline Correctional Center (126 inmate capacity) (Cañon City)
• Sterling Correctional Facility (2320 inmate capacity) (Sterling)
• Trinidad Correctional Facility (500 inmate capacity) (Trinidad)
• Youthful Offender System (Pueblo)<ref name="Evaluation of Budgeting"/>

For-profit prisons

• Bent County Correctional Facility (1387 inmate capacity) (Las Animas). Owned by CoreCivic.<ref name="chieftain.com"/><ref name="Evaluation of Budgeting"/>
• Crowley County Correctional Facility (1493 inmate capacity) (Olney Springs). Owned by CoreCivic.<ref name="chieftain.com"/><ref name="Evaluation of Budgeting"/>

Closed prisons

Hudson Correctional Facility

• Cheyenne Mountain Re-Entry Center (Colorado Springs). Closed in 2020.
• Colorado Correctional Center (Camp George West) (150 inmate capacity) (Golden)
• Fort Lyon Correctional Facility (closed 2012) (Bent County)
• High Plains Correctional Facility (Brush) (closed since 2010) (Last owned and operated by GEO Group)
• Hudson Correctional Facility (Hudson) (closed since 2013) Owned by GEO Group.
• Huerfano County Correctional Facility (Walsenburg). Closed since 2010. Owned by CoreCivic.<ref name="chieftain.com"/>
• Kit Carson Correctional Center (Burlington) (Private Prison; closed since 2016) Owned by CoreCivic.<ref name="chieftain.com"/>
• Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center (Cañon City). Owned by GEO Group.<ref name="chieftain.com"/><ref name="Evaluation of Budgeting"/>

Operations

All male prisoners entering the Colorado DOC system first go to the Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center (DRDC) before going to their assigned facilities, while female prisoners are sent to the Denver Women's Correctional Facility for processing. Assignments are primarily determined by security level, and each facility can accommodate inmates of different security levels.<ref>"Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.</ref>

In 2012, the state of Colorado had no designated death row. All prisoners with death sentences were given classifications of "Close", the highest custody designation possible. As of 2017, all prisoners with death sentences are located at the Sterling Correctional Facility. The execution chamber is located at the Colorado State Penitentiary. By state statute, executions took place there.<ref name="ColoradoDR">"Death Row FAQ Template:Webarchive." () Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on April 19, 2012.</ref> The death penalty was abolished in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From the 1890s to the 1990s, the Colorado death row was located at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.<ref name="Mitchell">Mitchell, Kirk. "Colorado moves death-row inmates so they can exercise outdoors Template:Webarchive." Denver Post. July 28, 2011. Retrieved on April 19, 2012.</ref> The execution chamber was also located in this prison.<ref>Kirby, Jen. "Photos: A Haunting Look at America’s Execution Chambers" (). New York (magazine). May 16, 2014. Retrieved on September 19, 2015.</ref> In the 1990s, the Colorado State Penitentiary opened.<ref name="Mitchell"/> Previously state statute dictated that prisoners with death sentences were to be held at the administrative segregation facility at the Colorado State Penitentiary.<ref name="ColoradoDRold">"Death Row FAQ Template:Webarchive." (Archive) Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.</ref> In 2011 the State of Colorado moved its death row prisoners in order to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Nathan Dunlap, a death row prisoner. Dunlap had complained about the state's lack of outdoor exercise facilities at Colorado State Penitentiary.<ref name="Mitchell"/> The Crowley County facility experienced two major riots involving Colorado and Washington state prisoners, the first in 1999 when operated by Correctional Services Corporation and the second on July 20, 2004, when owned and operated by the Corrections Corporation of America, and involving Wyoming inmates as well.<ref>McPrison, Westword, Alan Prendergast, September 30, 1999. Retrieved August 11, 2017.</ref><ref>Columbia Prison Divest ACSRI proposal, Columbia University. Retrieved August 11, 2017.</ref><ref>Going Off, Westword, Alan Prendergast, December 23, 2004. Retrieved August 11, 2017.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

From the end of 2024, the Colorado Department of Corrections will implement policies for transgender inmates - regarding gender-affirming healthcare and other related issues. This was bought about with a court "settlement" from a lawsuit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fallen officers and officials

Since the establishment of the Colorado Department of Corrections, 17 officers have died while on duty, including Executive Director Tom Clements.<ref>The Officer Down Memorial Page</ref>

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in Colorado
• List of United States state correction agencies
• List of U.S. state prisons

References

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External links

• Colorado Department of Corrections