Visit an Incarcerated Individual

The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) is committed to its mission and the principle that maintaining family and community ties is vital for residents’ successful rehabilitation and safe return to society.

In support of this commitment and in alignment with the recently passed House Bill (HB) 25-1013, the CDOC has implemented changes to our visitation policies which reflect a strategic effort to enhance offender-family communication, clarify expectations, and ensure our policies support the long-term goal of reducing recidivism.

Additional information regarding our current visitation policies and procedures may be found below, on our Visitation Rules and Procedures page, and in the full text of the revised visitation policy, Administrative Regulation 300-01 Offender Visiting Program, which can be found on our Department Policies page.

Social Visitation / Types of Social Visitation

Social Visitation is defined as all types of visits between an offender and visitor including contact visits, non-contact visits, family time visits, telephone calls, and video visitation. Social visitation does not include visits between an offender and a professional visitor such as an attorney, an agent of an attorney, an attorney’s authorized representative, a notary, a qualified health-care professional, or other professional or with a member of the clergy.

Colorado Department of Corrections understands and supports the role of social and family support in the process of rehabilitation and successful re-entry. It is our mission to facilitate social visitation between inmates and their loved ones with the highest degree of consistency and fairness while also ensuring the safety and security of our population, staff, and facilities.

The available types of social visitation (contact and non-contact) are outlined below.

Contact Visitation

Contact visits are social visits between an offender and visitor that is conducted under supervision in an open area, enabling movement within the area and restricted physical contact. This is the traditional on-site visit you normally think of as occurring at the correctional facility.

Individuals who do not meet the criteria to be approved for contact visitation may request to be approved for non-contact visits.

In an effort to ensure consistency and streamline contact visitation, the department has updated our visiting policy and dress code. Additional information regarding the current policy and procedures may be found on our Visitation Rules and Procedures page].

Non-Contact Visitation

Non-Contact Visitation includes any social visit between an offender and visitor conducted onsite through a physical barrier or through electronic means such as by telephone or video visitation. Non-contact visits may be utilized when a visitor cannot be approved for contact visitation. Non-contact visits may also be considered when the visitor cannot be cleared through search procedures because of metallic braces or medical inserts into the body.

Additional information regarding video visitation rules and procedures may be found on our Visitation Rules and Procedures page. Additional information regarding electronic non-contact visits by phone and video visitation may be found below.

Non Contact Visitation by Phone

The provisions of House Bill 25-1013 define phone contact as a form of non-contact visitation.

Inmates are not able to receive calls, but may make outgoing calls to any person on their approved phone list. If an inmate wishes to update their phone list, they may do so by submitting an updated list through their assigned case manager.

If you would like an inmate to add you to their approved phone list, please send the inmate a letter or a Securus eMessage requesting that they add you to their phone list.

Non Contact Visitation by Video Visit

Per policy, you must complete and submit a visiting application with a copy of your government issued photo ID through the facility visiting office to request approval for video visitation.

Visiting applications may be obtained on our Visiting Applications page and must be submitted per the instructions specific to the facility you are applying to visit.

Each facility has its own webpage on our website under the Facilities page. On the facility specific page, directions for submitting a completed visiting application can be found under the expandable section "Where/how to submit visiting applications".

Once you are approved as a visitor on the inmate's visiting list, video visiting accounts may be set up and video visits scheduled online, through Securus, the provider of our inmate communications system. Accounts may be set up through the Securus website.

Rules and requirements specific to video visitation may be found on our Visitation Rules and Procedures page.

In-Person Non-Contact Visitation

In-person non-contact visitation is conducted onsite with a barrier or physical separation between the visitors. Visitors who wish to have in-person non-contact visitation must be approved visitors on the inmate's visiting list.

Visiting applications may be obtained on our Visiting Applications page and must be submitted per the instructions specific to the facility you are applying to visit.

In-person non-contact visitation may be offered at the determination of the administrative head at certain custody levels, based upon the operational status of the facility, or if contact visitation is otherwise not available or cannot be approved.

Rules and requirements for visits may be found on our Visitation Rules and Procedures page.

Special Visits

Special visits (to include extended visits) between offenders and their visitors may be granted for reasons such as:

When the visitor(s) has traveled out of state and/or a long distance.
When a special visit is determined by the administrative head or designee to be in the best interest of the offender’s rehabilitative needs or correctional goals.
Individuals who would not normally be approved to visit. The administrative head may require a non-contact visit. An approved application is still required.
Visits approved outside the normal visiting days or times, including extended visits.

Requests for special visits may be initiated by the offender, proposed visitor, or employee. All requests should be initiated at least ten calendar days in advance of the requested special visit date, if possible.

Proposed visitors must have a visiting application on file or attach the application to the special visit request. All requests for Special Visits must be approved in advance and prior to the special visit taking place.

Hospital Visits

Inmates assigned as medically limited or non-ambulatory within the DOC Infirmary will be permitted visits only if they have been in the Infirmary for one (1) month and can visit in the designated visiting area at specially designated times.

Inmates being housed in a community hospital or at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP) for in-patient care may be permitted visits when prior approval is granted by the inmate's doctor and the Administrative Head of the inmate's permanently assigned correctional facility and coordinated through the Administrative Head at San Carlos Correctional Facility.

Inmates in medical facilities under medical emergency or terminal conditions are to be granted all reasonable consideration for visiting by immediate family members.

Professional Visitation

Professional visitation includes visitation with an attorney, an agent of an attorney, an attorney’s authorized representative, a notary, a qualified health-care professional, or other professional.

Requests for professional non-attorney visits related to active Dependency and Neglect cases are governed by the processes in AR750-05 Reduce Child and Incarcerated Parent Separation, which may be found on our Department Policies page.

Attorney / Attorney Agent Visitation

Attorneys/Agents shall be permitted to visit their offender clients solely for the purpose of conducting legal business and not for the purpose of social visitation. Any visitor identified on an offenders visiting list must only be identified as having one relationship with the offender, i.e. friend, attorney, agent, etc. An attorney/agent may not switch from being an attorney/agent to an active social visitor on an offenders visiting list.

Investigators and paralegals for the Colorado State Public Defenders Office shall be allowed to visit an offender upon presentation of a state photo identification, if such investigator or paralegal is named on a current list of Public Defender employees periodically provided to the Department.

Scheduling Attorney Visitation:

Routine attorney/agent visits with inmates will be allowed Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. provided the visits do not disrupt facility operations. Requests are to be submitted in to the facility litigation coordinator writing at least twenty-four (24) business hours in advance of the proposed visit by either mail or facsimile transmission. Unannounced, previously unapproved attorney visits will not be allowed.
Written requests to visiting personnel or the litigation coordinator must be received at least 24 hours in advance via fax, mail, or email. Requests must be received Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unannounced, previously unapproved attorney/agent visits will not be allowed.
The requester will provide the full names and driver’s license numbers of each attorney/agent requesting entrance. Attorneys will provide their attorney registration number. All parties must clear a background check prior to facility entry.
All agents of attorneys shall identify themselves by: providing a copy of their supervising attorney's current Supreme Court Attorney Registration Card or providing their attorney registration number, along with a notarized letter signed by the supervising attorney on the attorney's letterhead, specifically stating that the agent presenting the identification is representing the attorney in the case of the inmate(s) requested for visits.
Special attorney visits with inmates may be facilitated outside the routine attorney visitation hours for emergent situations where there is no other reasonable alternative provided the arrangements do not disrupt facility operations. Emergency attorney visits may only be approved by the administrative head, or designee.
Requests for emergent special attorney visits are required to be submitted in writing to the facility litigation coordinator twenty-four (24) business hours in advanced of the proposed visit by either mail or facsimile transmission. Special visits will be coordinated with the facility warden.
Any special considerations requested by an attorney/agent will be immediately referred to the Administrative Head, or designee on duty, for decision.
Attorneys/agents will be required to meet the standard dress code requirements.

Notary Visits

Offenders within our custody at both state and private facilities may utilize the services of public notaries.

Colorado public notaries are permitted to maintain only one journal which is either paper or electronic. Public notaries who elect to maintain an electronic log will be permitted to bring this log into a correctional facility.

Typically, electronic logs and notary equipment consists of a tablet or cell phone, digital fingerprint capture system and stamp. Notaries shall disclose their equipment needs as part of the clearance process. Notaries who utilize electronic systems do not have a need to use other functions of the phone or tablet such as audio /video recording or outbound calls with the offender; this activity will not be permitted. Notaries with electronic equipment shall not proceed beyond the visiting area of the facility with their declared equipment.

Any documents to be notarized that the offender does not possess need to be mailed to the offender via USPS mail prior to the notary’s appointment with the offender. In cases where the original document must be signed and notarized, the notary may bring the document and leave with the same document. Notaries can not leave documents with offenders.

Notary services may be provided to offenders by staff notaries for re-entry preparation purposes as outlined in AR 550-01 and for legal documents related to habeas corpus, post-conviction relief, or conditions of confinement cases which the court requires to be notarized. Per AR 750-01 Legal Access, staff notaries are prohibited from notarizing personal financial or legal documents for offenders. The referenced policies may be found on our Department Policies page.

Professional Health Care Provider Visits

If a health care provider wishes to visit an inmate on a professional basis to provide care, they must obtain approval to provide such care by following the procedures outlined in Administrative Regulation 700-21 Private Health Care Providers, which may be accessed on our Department Policies page.

If a health care provider needs to visit an inmate on a professional basis to assess them for purposes of the inmate receiving benefits, arrangements for the professional visit may be made through the facility's administrative head in consultation with the facility's health services administrator (HSA).

Clergy Visits

Clergy visits are intended for the purpose of one-on-one spiritual guidance of the offender. Only the offender may request a clergy visit for themselves.

The following procedures will be followed for application and approval of clergy visitors:

An offender will be permitted to have up to two individuals for consideration as clergy/faith group representative visitors.
The offender must request in writing to the facility volunteer coordinator/facility chaplain for the clergy person to be sent AR Form 300-01E, Authorization for Clergy/Faith Group Representative, for application.
The offender must be registered on the DOC database as the same faith as the clergy/faith group representative.
- The administrative head or designee may approve exceptions to this restriction on a case-by-case basis if it can be demonstrated that the visit(s) will enhance the offender’s rehabilitation.
Clergy/faith group representative applicants will attach documentary evidence (licenses/ordination, etc.) of being a current member in good standing of a legitimate DOC recognized faith group in which they represent to AR Form 300-01E, Authorization for Clergy/Faith Group Representative for submission to the visiting office of the offender's assigned facility.
- Upon approval of the application, the volunteer coordinator/facility chaplain will schedule the date and time of the visit, in accordance with facility procedures.
- Final approval for facility access rests with the facility administrative head/designee.
- If denied, the applicant must appeal the decision to the facility administrative head or designee within ten (10) working days of receipt of denial.
The clergy applicant will be responsible for arranging each visit to the facility with a minimum of two weeks’ notice.
- Clergy visitation and regular visitor visitation will not be combined into a single visitation session.
- Approved clergy must adhere to the dress code as specified on page two of AR Form 300-01A, Visitor Application. Clergy must be at least 21 years of age.

Visitors' Notice Under the Americans With Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Colorado Department of Corrections (hereafter referred to as “DOC”) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Requests for Accommodation: The DOC provides a method for visitors to request accommodations in accordance with the ADA. Administrative Regulation 100-42 governs the request process and contains the request form; it is available on our Department Policies page. Completed requests should be submitted to the facility/office ADA coordinator at the location where they are visiting.

Effective Communication: The DOC will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services for effective communication to qualified visitors so they can participate equally in DOC programs, services, and activities, including visitation amplification devices, accessible formatting of public materials, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The DOC will make all reasonable modifications to policies and procedures to ensure that visitors have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its services, programs, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in DOC facilities/offices, even where pets are generally prohibited.

A visitor who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of the DOC, should contact the facility/office ADA coordinator as soon as possible but no later than seven business days before the scheduled visit.

Complaint Procedure: Complaints that a service, program, or activity of the DOC is not accessible to visitors, or if a visitor would like to appeal the denial of a request for accommodation, he/she shall follow the complaint procedure outlined in Administrative Regulation 100-42.

The ADA does not require the DOC to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its services, programs, and activities, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden. DOC will not place a surcharge on a particular individual or group of individuals to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Department of Corrections Non-Discrimination Statement

As required by the Americans with Disabilities/Rehabilitation Acts (ADA), no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of the services, activities, or programs of the Department of Corrections or be subjected to discrimination.

Additional information concerning CDOC's compliance with ADA may be found on our ADA Notice page.

ADA Accommodation for Visitation

If you require ADA accommodations in order to visit one of our facilities please see our ADA Accommodation page.

For additional information please see AR 100-42B attachment B, which is available on our Department Policies page.

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