Other Legislative Reports

Colorado Department of Corrections Other Legislative Reports

Other legislative reports are reports the Colorado Department of Corrections is required to provide reports on by statute or that the department has been asked by the legislature to report on, but which are not tied to a particular bill.

For each bill on this page, you will find information regarding the reporting request or requirement, a brief summary of the importance of the report, and when applicable, an at-a-glance summary of the most recent data.

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels

Reporting Requirement: Pursuant to C.R.S. 17-1-115.8, the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) provides reports regarding correctional officer staffing levels. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 reported data includes information on the following statutorily required items:

Staffing levels for correctional officers at each correctional facility and private contract
prison in Colorado;
Staffing levels for correctional officers for each correctional facility security level;
A comparison of staffing levels at Colorado correctional facilities and the national standards adopted by the National Institute of Corrections and the American Correctional Association.

Why this matters to the community:

Keeping Communities Safe: Ensuring appropriate staffing is critical to ensure the safety of DOC staff, the inmate population, and the general public. By tracking these numbers, the state helps prevent dangerous situations that could happen if there weren't enough officers.
Ensuring Transparency: Meeting the statutory requirement of reporting on staffing levels ensures that the department is being open and honest about how many correctional officers are working at prisons.
Fiscal responsibility: Reporting this data helps ensure operational efficiency. By analyzing staffing levels, DOC can identify where to prioritize staffing and hiring.

At a glance summary of 2025 data:

Table outlining staffing levels by correctional facility

Copies of the reports the department provides to the legislature may be accessed by clicking the blue bar below.

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels Reports

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY25 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY24 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY23

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY22 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY21 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY20

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY19 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY19 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY18

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY17 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY16 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY15

Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY14 Corrections Officer Staffing Levels FY13

Residential Treatment Program

Reporting Request: The Department was requested to submit a report to the House Judiciary Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Joint Budget Committee by January 31, 2025, detailing the progress related to the mental health unit at Centennial
Correctional Facility.

Why this matters to the community:

Improved Safety and Functioning: The program's main goal is to treat offenders with mental illness so they can get better, function effectively, and move into less strict facilities or back into the community. This helps the community by reducing isolation and making offenders more stable.
Effective Use of Resources: The program uses treatments that are considered "best practice and evidence-based," which means tax money is being spent on proven ways to help offenders improve their self-management skills and prosocial behavior.
Preparing for Release: The program helps offenders plan for their release by making safety and relapse prevention plans and connecting them to resources like housing support. This support is important for a successful return to the community.
Understanding Mental Health Needs: Many inamtes in this population have multiple psychiatric diagnoses. This information is key for the state to understand the level of need and plan for future mental health resources.

At a glance summary of 2025 data:

Graph of Residential Treatment Program Admissions by Year

Copies of the reports the department provides to the legislature may be accessed by clicking the blue bar below.

Residential Treatment Program Reports

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY25

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY24

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY23

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY22

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY21

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY20

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY19

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY18

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY17

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY16

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY15

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY14

Centennial Correctional Facility Residential Treatment Program Report FY13

Centennial Correctional Facility/Colorado State Penitentiary Offenders with Mental Illness Report FY12

Colorado State Penitentiary Offenders with Mental Illness Report FY10

Colorado State Penitentiary Offenders with Mental Illness Report FY09

Status of Private Prisons

Reporting Requirement: This report is intended to comply with the annual reporting provision listed in C.R.S. 17-1-201(2): No later than December 1 of each fiscal year, beginning with the 1996-97 fiscal year, the Executive Director shall submit a report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate concerning the status of contracts in effect, and, with respect to completed prisons, the effectiveness of each private contract prison governed
by a contract with the department.

Why this matters to the community:

Management of the Prison Population: Colorado relies on private prisons to house inmates due to the population exceeding the available bed space in the state prisons.
Fiscal Transparency:
Inmate Welfare: The state monitors private prisons to ensure that they are meeting requirements for inmate services like medical care and food.
Staffing Challenges: The report alerts the community to staffing problems at the private prisons, which could affect the safety and services for inmates

At a glance summary of FY2025 contracts and utilization:

Chart showing 1375 inmates assigned to Bent County Correctional Facility and 1532 inmates assigned to Crowley County Correctional Facility as of June 30, 2025

Chart showing utilization of state and private prison beds for CO inmates over time with 2930 of Colorado's 15,919 total inmates in private prison beds as of June 30, 2025

Copies of the reports the department provides to the legislature may be accessed by clicking the blue bar below.

Status of Private Prisons Reports

Private Prisons FY25 Private Prisons FY24

Private Prisons FY23 Private Prisons FY22 Private Prisons FY21

Private Prisons FY20 Private Prisons FY19 Private Prisons FY18

Private Prisons FY17 Private Prisons FY16 Private Prisons FY15

Private Prisons FY14 Private Prisons FY13 Private Prisons FY12

Education and Vocational Programs

Reporting Requirement: This report provides information on the educational programs offered to inmates within the Colorado Department of Corrections as required by Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 17-32-105. The report includes information on what programs are provided at which facilities, staffing and vacancy rates of program providers, program enrollments and completions, student demographics, information regarding program funding, and parolee employment statistics.

Why this matters to the community:

Reducing Recidivism: Studies consistently find that education programs in prison are successful in reducing recidivism and increasing future employment success.
Successful Re-Entry: Most parolees (over 63%) are employed full-time or part-time, which means they are working in the community. The CDOC teaches skills for jobs needed in Colorado, which is a crucial step for inmates to successfully re-enter the community.
Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency: Enhancing understanding of how these funds are used and the benefit to the community.

At a glance summary of FY2025 data:

Table shows which correctional facilities have which programs available Table shows number enrollments in each program Table shows number of certificates earned in each program Bar graph shows 52.1% of parolees employed full time, 11.2% employed part time, and 36.7% unemployed

Copies of the reports the department provides to the legislature may be accessed by clicking the blue bar below.

Education and Vocational Programs Reports

Education Report FY25 Education Report FY24 Education Report FY23

Education Report FY22 Education Report FY21 Education Report FY20

Education Report FY19 Education Report FY18 Education Report FY17

Education Report FY16 Education Report FY15 Education Report FY13

Education Report FY12 Education Report FY11 Education Report FY10

Lifetime Supervision of Sex Offenders

Reporting Requirement: As required by statute, 18-1.3-1011 C.R.S.: the Department of Corrections, the Department of Public Safety, and the Judicial Department a responsible to submit a report to the judiciary committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the Joint Budget Committee outlining the impact of lifetime supervision sentencing on the prison, parole, and probation populations. The statute also requires that data be provided regarding the number and length of sentences, number of parole board reviews, number of revocations, and availability of treatment.

Why this matters to the community:

Public Safety: State agencies like the Department of Corrections (CDOC), the Judicial Department, and the Department of Public Safety work together to manage and supervise sex offenders, including those who have lifetime supervision sentences, with a goal of keeping the community safe.
Understanding Treatment and Supervision of a Unique Population: Knowing how many people are under supervision for sex offense convictions and what they are required to do helps the community better understand the population and the special treatment programs they must go through while in prison or on supervision in the community.
Fiscal Impact and Challenges: The yearly cost for assessing, treating, and monitoring sex offenders, both in prison and on parole and probation, including the challenge of high costs for offense-specific evaluations on the probation side.

At a glance summary of FY2025 data:

Graph shows number of sex offenders in each facility assignment Graph shows percentage of sex offenders and lifetime supervision sex offenders in prison population Graph shows lifetime supervision sex offender releases by year Graph shows current lifetime supervision sex offenders parole length of stay