The Colorado State Prison System

The Colorado Department of Corrections manages the 20 state-run prisons in Colorado, with its headquarters at Spring Office Park in El Paso County, Colorado. The state also works with several privately owned prisons. After a person is convicted, the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center is usually the first stop. It is the place where the Department of Corrections will decide the befitting facility. These prisons are categorized based on security levels, and the assignment of inmates is primarily determined based on the security level into which the inmate falls. The highest designation into which an inmate can fall is “Close,” which is the category for death row inmates.

The death penalty was abolished in the state of Colorado in the year 2020. Before this, detention of death row inmates was at the Colorado state penitentiary until the year 2011, when a federal lawsuit forced the relocation of death row inmates.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Prison in Colorado?

One of the most fundamental differences between a prison and a jail is the length of time offenders spend in both. Jails usually hold a convict for any time between two (2) days and one (1) year, whereas prisons can keep an inmate for any number of years, even for the rest of the prisoner’s life.

Jails usually hold detainees awaiting sentencing or a trial, offenders convicted of a misdemeanor and serving a one-year sentence or less, or individuals pending transfer to a prison.

This means that an individual in jail may not yet be convicted of any crime. However, an inmate in prison is already convicted of a crime, usually a felony, with a sentence longer than a year.

In Colorado, the Sheriff’s department in each county manages the jails and even releases certain inmates before they complete their sentences. Prisons, on the other hand, are state­-managed. Prisons are usually more equipped and more comfortable than jails, as these facilities hold more people over a longer period.

How Many Prisons are in Colorado?

There are 20 state-run prisons in the state of Colorado, namely:

• Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility (Ordway)
• Arrowhead Correctional Center (Cañon City)
• Buena Vista Correctional Facility (Buena Vista)
• Centennial Correctional Facility (Cañon City) (Maximum Security)
• Colorado Correctional Center (Camp George West)
• Colorado State Penitentiary (Cañon City) (Maximum Security)
• Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility (Cañon City) (Medium Security)
• Delta Correctional Center (Delta)
• Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center (Denver)
• Denver Women’s Correctional Facility (Denver)
• Four Mile Correctional Center (Cañon City)
• Fremont Correctional Facility (Cañon City)
• LA Vista Correctional Facility (Pueblo)
• Limon Correctional Facility (Limon)
• Rifle Correctional Center (Rifle)
• San Carlos Correctional Facility (Pueblo)
• Skyline Correctional Center (249 inmate capacity) (Cañon City)
• Sterling Correctional Facility (2545 inmate capacity) (Sterling)
• Trinidad Correctional Facility (500 inmate capacity) (Trinidad)
• Youthful Offender System (Pueblo)

How do I search for an Inmate in Colorado State Prison?

Members of the public who intend to find an inmate in a Colorado prison can use the Colorado Department of Corrections’ online locator. To use this tool, the user will be required to supply a DOC number or the inmate’s first and last name. Also, parties may locate individuals in county jails by making an inquiry through the local Sheriff’s desk or using an online locator tool on many county Sheriff’s websites.

Upon search, the locator typically provides information such as sex, date of birth, assigned facility, and release date as regulated by the Colorado Open Records Act.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Colorado?

Incarceration records contain official information about an individual’s arrests, convictions, and criminal history. According to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), interested individuals can access criminal history arrest records by submitting a request to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Colorado law enforcement agencies provide essential information about arrests, which is stored in the computerized criminal history (CCH) database. However, the general public does not obtain warrant information, Social Security Numbers, juvenile records, financial institution account numbers, and sealed records.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often simplify the search process by aggregating information from various jurisdictions and providing it to record seekers via a single database. Users are generally required to provide the following information to facilitate a search:

• 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 in which the person resides or was accused.

Third-party sites operate independently from government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Therefore, the accuracy and validity of the information they provide may not be guaranteed.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Colorado?

Colorado jail records can be looked up by visiting the respective facilities in person. Alternatively, members of the public can use the inmate locator online, entering the DOC Number, inmate's last and first name, date of birth in month, date, and year format, and, lastly, gender. If the interested party searching is uncertain of the inmate’s gender, all fields can be selected.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Colorado?

Interested parties may file a petition with the District Court to seal or expunge jail records. However, the court only grants expungement for dismissed and petty cases. In filing a petition, the petitioner is generally required to obtain the criminal history containing case numbers and arrest details. Criminal history information is accessible from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at a cost. The prerequisites for expungement require that:

• The applicant must have completed a diversion agreement with no criminal charges
• There was an arrest, but the case did not go to court, and the statute of limitations has elapsed

The court charges $224.00 for expungement. Petitioners with no capacity to pay the filing charge may submit a Motion to File Without Payment, alongside a Financial Affidavit. The court may then review the petition and decide to set a hearing.

The court may send an order denying the petition with specified reasons or grant the request to seal the arrest and criminal records. The court can concede a petition without hearing if it finds it adequate. After the hearing, if the court grants the petition, the court automatically seals the criminal record, and the bearer may deny its existence.