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The 45-Day Wait: How Visiting Approvals Work at Bent County Correctional Facility

Getting approved to visit at Bent County Correctional Facility takes time, and that delay is usually part of the process, not a mistake on your application. Here's what the "45 days on average" timeline really means, what to submit to avoid a denial, and where to send your paperwork.

• 3 min read Verified from official sources
The 45-Day Wait: How Visiting Approvals Work at Bent County Correctional Facility

Bent County Correctional Facility reports that visiting approvals take about 45 days on average. That word "average" matters. Some applications move faster, others take longer, depending on volume and what needs to be reviewed. If you're trying to line up a visit for a specific date, plan around that 45-day window so you're not scrambling at the last minute.

Tip: Submit your visiting application as early as you can. A 45-day processing time is an average, not a guaranteed turnaround.

Even after you're approved and considered an active visitor, that approval doesn't sit on file forever. Bent County runs automatic background checks yearly on active visitors to confirm there are no active warrants, detainers, or unresolved criminal cases.

There's also an inactivity rule that catches families off guard. If you haven't visited in a one-year period, you can be automatically deactivated from the incarcerated person's visiting list. To visit again, you'll need to reapply.

Note: If it's been close to a year since your last visit, start the reapplication process early. Yearly checks also look for active warrants, detainers, or unresolved cases, so surprises can create delays.

Your application needs to include a copy of a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. An expired or missing ID will hold up your application or get it denied.

Bent County also requires the address on your photo ID to match the address on your visiting application. If those don't match, the application may be denied, even if everything else is filled out correctly.

  • ✓ I included a copy of a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID
  • ✓ The address printed on my photo ID matches the address I wrote on the visiting application
  • ✓ My application is complete and readable before I send it

Completed visiting applications go to the Colorado Department of Corrections Private Prison Monitoring Unit. You can mail it to: Attention: Private Prison Monitoring Unit, Colorado Department of Corrections Headquarters, 1250 Academy Park Loop, Colorado Springs, CO 80910. Or email it to Doc_PPMU_Visiting@state.co.us.

  1. Send your application to the Private Prison Monitoring Unit: Use either the mailing address in Colorado Springs or the email Doc_PPMU_Visiting@state.co.us.
  2. Mark your submission date: Keep track of when you mailed or emailed it so you know when the average processing window has passed.
  3. Follow up after the average wait: If you have not heard back after about 45 days, email Doc_PPMU_Visiting@state.co.us to ask about the status.
The 45-Day Wait: How Visiting Approvals Work at Bent County Correctional Facility

If you're trying to visit sooner than the typical approval timeline, reach out for guidance before you make travel plans. Start with the Private Prison Monitoring Unit at Doc_PPMU_Visiting@state.co.us, since that's also where Bent County visitor applications are submitted.

Note: You're responsible for knowing and following the visiting rules in Administrative Regulation 300-01. If you don't follow the rules, your visiting privileges can be terminated.

  1. Get your application “clean” before you submit: Include a copy of a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID, and make sure the address on the ID matches the address on your application.
  2. Submit through the approved channels: Email Doc_PPMU_Visiting@state.co.us or mail your application to the CDOC Private Prison Monitoring Unit at CDOC Headquarters in Colorado Springs.
  3. Protect your visiting status: Read and follow Administrative Regulation 300-01, since rule violations can cost you visiting privileges.

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