What Happens If You Violate Visiting Rules? Understanding Colorado DOC Suspension Policies

Staff can end a visit immediately when behavior crosses from rule violation into security threat. The most serious examples: anything that looks like an escape attempt or smuggling contraband. These situations trigger the harshest consequences.

A visit ending on the spot doesn't mean your fate is sealed in that moment. Colorado DOC conducts an administrative review afterward - that's when they decide whether to suspend your privileges and for how long.

A first violation typically results in a 30-day suspension after administrative review. Even one incident can mean a full month without visits.

A second violation bumps the suspension to 90 days. That's three months - long enough to disrupt regular contact for an entire season.

A third violation can mean a one-year suspension. Losing visits for a full year hits especially hard when in-person time is your loved one's main source of support.

Here's something that catches families off guard: a suspension doesn't stay at one prison. If you're suspended or revoked at any Colorado DOC facility, that ban applies statewide. You can't visit at a different location to get around it.

Think the suspension was a mistake? Contact the facility and ask to speak with the administrative head. For Buena Vista Correctional Complex, Warden Bryan Coleman oversees operations. Call the switchboard at 719-395-2404 or write to BVCC, PO BOX 2017, Buena Vista, CO 81211.

• ✓ Call the facility switchboard (719-395-2404).
• ✓ Ask to be connected to the facility administrative head (or the office that handles visiting decisions).
• ✓ Request an explanation of the suspension and what your next steps are.