Prisons in Colorado number 21 facilities across the state, operated by three different systems. The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) runs 19 state prisons, the Federal Bureau of Prisons operates facilities near Denver and in Florence, and CoreCivic runs two private prisons under contract with the state. Which system holds someone determines how you locate them, how you visit, and what rules apply.
State Prisons Run by the CDOC
Every person sentenced to a Colorado state prison begins at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center (DRDC), the system’s single intake point since 1991. Staff there assess security classification, medical needs, and programming before assigning a permanent facility.1Colorado Department of Corrections. Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center
The heaviest concentration of state prisons sits in Cañon City, which houses four:2Colorado Department of Corrections. Facilities
- Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP), the state’s maximum-security prison
- Centennial Correctional Facility, which includes maximum-security housing and mental health treatment units
- Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison and one of the oldest in the state
- Arrowhead Correctional Center, minimum security
Other CDOC facilities are spread across the state: Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Buena Vista Correctional Complex, Delta Correctional Center, Denver Women’s Correctional Facility, Limon Correctional Facility, and Sterling Correctional Facility. Two Pueblo facilities serve specialized populations: San Carlos Correctional Facility, a Level 5 residential treatment program for people with the most severe behavioral health issues, including serious mental illness and intellectual disabilities;3Colorado Department of Corrections. San Carlos Correctional Facility and the Youthful Offender System, for younger individuals sentenced under the state’s youthful offender provisions.
Federal Prisons in Colorado
Federal facilities hold people convicted of federal crimes — drug trafficking, bank robbery, fraud, and offenses on federal land. Colorado’s federal prisons are grouped in two areas.
FCI Englewood
Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, near Littleton, is a low-security prison for men. The complex also includes a satellite camp for minimum-security offenders, a Federal Satellite Low facility, and an administrative detention center.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. About FCI Englewood
The Florence Complex
The larger federal presence is the Federal Correctional Complex in Florence, which contains several facilities under one administration. FCI Florence is medium security with a minimum-security satellite camp. USP Florence is a high-security penitentiary.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Florence
ADX Florence, opened in 1994, is the only federal supermax prison in the United States. Designated “Administrative Maximum” security, the all-male facility houses people the Bureau of Prisons considers extreme risks: histories of violence against inmates or staff, escape attempts, gang leadership, or threats to national security. It is sometimes called the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.”6Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Florence – High
Private Prisons
Colorado contracts with CoreCivic to run two prisons that supplement state capacity:7Colorado Department of Corrections. Private Prisons
- Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, owned by CoreCivic since 19968CoreCivic. Bent County Correctional Facility
- Crowley County Correctional Facility in Olney Springs, a medium-security facility owned by CoreCivic since 20039CoreCivic. Crowley County Correctional Facility
People at these facilities are still serving CDOC sentences and remain under state jurisdiction. Colorado reimburses CoreCivic for operating costs.
How to Find Someone in a Colorado Prison
Which tool you use depends on whether the sentence is state or federal.
For state prisoners, the CDOC Offender Search lets you look up individuals by name, CDOC number, or gender.10Colorado Department of Corrections. Inmate Locator For federal prisoners, the BOP Inmate Locator searches by name or federal register number and returns the assigned facility.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator
Neither tool covers county jails. If the person you’re looking for was recently arrested and is awaiting trial, they’re most likely in a county jail, not a prison, and you’ll need to contact that county’s sheriff’s office directly.
Visiting and Contacting Someone Inside
Visiting a State Prisoner
To visit someone at a CDOC facility, submit a Visitor Application with a copy of a valid, unexpired government photo ID. The address on the ID must match the address on the application or the facility can deny it. CDOC runs an annual background check on active visitors to confirm no outstanding warrants, detainers, or unresolved criminal cases.12Colorado Department of Corrections. Visiting Applications
Each prisoner may have up to 12 approved adult visitors; minors under 18 don’t count toward that cap. A child must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and the application must include a birth certificate or guardianship order. If a non-parent brings the child, the parent must complete a separate authorization form. Visitors who go a full year without visiting are automatically deactivated and must reapply.12Colorado Department of Corrections. Visiting Applications
Visiting a Federal Prisoner
The federal process starts on the inside. When someone arrives at a new facility, they get a Visitor Information Form, fill out their part, and mail it to each person they want on the list. That person completes the rest and returns it. The BOP then runs a background investigation, which can include contacting other law enforcement agencies. Approved lists can include immediate family, extended relatives, and up to 10 friends or associates.13Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate
Phone Calls and Messages
CDOC contracts with Securus for phone service and electronic messaging. Calls through the Colorado Inmate Phone System run about $0.014 per minute for both debit and collect calls, covering local, in-state, and international calls. Securus also runs an electronic messaging service for CDOC facilities.14Colorado Department of Corrections. Contact an Inmate
Community Corrections
Colorado also operates 30 community corrections facilities. These are not prisons in the ordinary sense. They house felony offenders who are either ineligible for probation or transitioning out of prison while awaiting parole placement. Residents live under supervision but have restricted access to the community for work, treatment, and other approved activities. Community corrections is supervised by the Division of Criminal Justice rather than CDOC directly, though the two agencies coordinate on placements.15Colorado Department of Corrections. Community Corrections
Prison Is Not the Same as Jail
People use the words interchangeably, but the systems are separate. County jails, run by sheriffs or municipal governments, hold people awaiting trial, serving short misdemeanor sentences, or waiting to be transferred to prison after conviction. Stays are usually brief. Prisons — state, federal, and private — hold people already convicted of more serious crimes serving longer sentences. If someone was just arrested, they’re almost certainly in a county jail, not one of the facilities on this page. Colorado has dozens of county jails, each run independently by local government, and none of them show up in the state or federal inmate locators.