Visiting an Inmate in the Custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections

The Colorado Department of Corrections is charged with protecting the public from offenders who have been sentenced to prison. The system, which is comprised of numerous state owned and operated as well as multiple private or "for profit" prisons is under the supervision of Ari Zavaras, the current director who was appointed to that position by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.

Before You Visit

Before visiting an inmate in a CDOC facility, you must first submit a Visiting Application. The inmate you wish to visit can mail this form to you, or you can access it here. The visiting application must be completed and signed. You must also include a copy of a current government issued identification card or driver's license. If you plan to bring any children or minors with you (those under the age of 18) you should also include a copy of that persons birth certificate. In order to bring a minor with you to a visit you must be the child's legal guardian, or have a signed affidavit from the child's legal guardian authorizing you to do so. This policy can vary, so it is best to check with the individual facility regarding their practices.

One thing to note is whether your loved on is housed in a state owned, or private prison. If the inmate is in a private prison, you should address your visiting application to the Private Prison Monitoring Unit, (PPMU) 2862 South Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. If the inmate is in a state run facility, you should return the visiting application to the facility where the inmate is housed.

Typically, visiting applications can take from 1-3 weeks to approve, but may take more time depending on the number of applications received on a certain date. If you have questions regarding whether or not your application was received, you can contact the facility or the PPMU.

Once your application has been reviewed and you have been approved for visiting status, your loved one will be notified. It is then their responsibility to notify you. In many facilities, those who are in charge of visiting will not be inconvenienced by checking for you via the phone to see if you are approved.