Where to Find Colorado Inmate Records

An inmate is a person serving time in an incarceration facility. When an inmate comes in, a lot of paperwork gets going to document all crucial information. These documents come together to form an inmate record. The prison and jail facilities in Colorado are the first depositories of inmates’ information. While state prison facilities are under the Colorado State Department of Corrections’ supervision, jails are the primary responsibility of county law enforcement agents.

Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Colorado?

In line with the Colorado Open Records Act, most of the information in incarceration records accessible by the public without eligibility requirements. Some information requires eligibility criteria for receiving a letter of authorization from the person listed in the record.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

What Information is Contained in a Colorado Inmate Record?

Inmate records in Colorado comprise information about detentions, bookings, and custody. General information found in inmate records include:

• Name of the inmate;
• Gender, date of birth, and physical descriptions;
• Details about the offender’s conviction and sentence;
• Address of the assigned facility;
• The date of admission and the projected date of release;
• Date of parole, if any;
• List of correctional programs enrolled in by the inmate;
• Progress reports, health evaluation notes;
• Milestone achievements during custody.

Some facilities require more data than others, depending on their operating procedure.

Where do I Look Up an Inmate in Colorado?

Individuals can visit the corrections facility to find information regarding inmates. Occasionally, the exact location of the incarceration facility is unknown. Confirm the address with the law enforcement agency that has current jurisdiction on the case. Most of the time, inmates get placed in facilities closer to their families. Exceptions to the rule are cases where the inmate must go to another location designed for their security level.

Online searches can provide information about an inmate. Although the State Department of Corrections offers this information in Colorado, several other third-party websites can access the same information. A limitation to them is that updates or confidential information may not be available to them. Such searches may return no results.

How Do I Conduct an Inmate Search in Colorado?

Besides visiting the relevant incarceration facility in person, the Colorado State Archives is the primary repository for Colorado State inmate records. Records of current and past inmates are available here.

To begin a search, determine if the inmate is serving time in a penitentiary or a reformatory. Penitentiaries in Colorado are for prisoners convicted of serious crimes. Reformatories are alternatives to prison facilities reserved for juvenile convicts. The Colorado State penitentiary contains the following information:

• Inmate index
• Paroles and discharges
• Administrative prison registers
• Register of pardons
• Convict records
• Movement of paroled prisoners
• Mugshots of prisoners

Anyone can conduct searches by visiting the state archives’ research room and requesting to search in person.

Requesting physical copies of these records will require any of these routes:

• Visiting the research room in person
• Filling out the digital form online
• Submitting a request by mail

There is no fee for searching for records, but there is a minimum fee for processing or physical copies. Expect a call from an archivist to a request about payment arrangements.

Online searches are pretty convenient but do not provide access to certain information that the state considers confidential. Use the Archives Search tab to find the inmate number of the individual in question. For questions, put in a call through to the agency. Jail facilities across counties and cities in Colorado provide services for in-person searches or requests for physical records. Online searches are possible using a compatible device and an internet connection. Go to the law enforcement agency website for the relevant county and look up the inmate records database. Use the Sheriff’s Office Directory to locate the appropriate address.

How Can I Find an Inmate for Free in Colorado?

Searches for inmate records come at no fee in Colorado. Request for copies will require charges proportional to the processing of the request.

How to Find Old Inmate Records in Colorado

The Colorado state archives hold inmate records that date back to 1871. Here, old inmate records are accessible for free viewing and a processing fee for copies.

How do I Find Inmate Death Records in Colorado?

Capital punishment no longer exists in Colorado, starting from 2020. However, the list of executed prisoners before this time are available at the prison facility where the execution took place. The state archives also hold this information in the research library.

How do I Conduct a Federal Prison Inmate Search?

Federal prisons are under central supervision by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the United States. Options are to visit the specific prison facility in-person or conduct an online search. In-person visits come with several rules regarding visitation time, mode of visitation, and restrictions about what to bring to the facility. Anyone can search by name or by inmate identification number. Name searches could be tricky because over one person could bear a name. Number search is more accurate because no two persons have the same number. There are at least four different identification numbers for federal inmates depending on which agency facilitated the investigation or criminal justice process:

• Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• DC Department of Corrections (DCDC)
• Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

How Long Does it Take For An Inmate’s Information to Be Published in Colorado Inmate Locator?

Unless there is good cause for delay, inmate information gets published on the same day the authorities conclude the arrest or admission to prison process. Some delays may arise from the processes involved before publishing. When an arrest occurs, the officer collects details of the arrestee, including thumbprints, mugshots, and other identification data. Persons serving prison sentences first go to a holding facility where the agency staff conducts a mental assessment for them. During this time, the prison staff decides what level of security to use.