What You Absolutely Cannot Bring Into Colorado State Penitentiary (And What Happens If You Try)
Visiting someone at Colorado State Penitentiary? What you bring matters. The Colorado Department of Corrections treats certain items as contraband, and refusing required procedures can end your visit before it starts. Here's a clear breakdown of what to leave behind and what happens if you don't.
Portable electronic communication devices are contraband at Colorado DOC facilities, including Colorado State Penitentiary. This includes everyday items people forget they're carrying: cell phones, smart watches, tablets, and even "smart" glasses. Pagers, personal digital assistants, portable radios, and portable computers are also banned. If a device can transmit or intercept cellular or radio signals, don't bring it. The safest approach is to leave electronics secured before you arrive. Don't have them on your person, in your pockets, or in anything you carry onto DOC property.
Exception: The only narrow exception is if the device is authorized by the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Don't bring cigarettes, tobacco products, or tobacco substitutes onto DOC facility grounds when visiting Colorado State Penitentiary. Vaping gets treated the same way. Vaping products, e-cigarettes, and vaping liquid are all considered contraband. Even if you don't plan to use them, having these items with you can cause problems at screening. Leave them at home or somewhere off DOC property.
Remember: This prohibition applies on DOC facility grounds and during visitation, not just inside the visiting room.
Everyone entering Colorado DOC facility grounds is subject to inspection or search, based on the facility's security needs. This doesn't just apply to you personally. Your vehicle and any belongings you bring can also be inspected or searched. This authority comes from C.R.S. 17-19-101, and it's standard procedure when entering DOC property for a visit. The less you bring, the smoother this process tends to go.
- Decline an entrance or visiting procedure - If you refuse to submit to any required entrance or visiting procedure, the visit stops there.
- Get denied entry - You will be denied entry to the facility.
- Leave immediately - You will be required to leave DOC facility property right away.
If an offender is found with contraband during or after a visit, DOC policy assumes the visitor introduced it. That assumption can become reasonable suspicion to suspend or revoke your visiting privileges. This is why seemingly "harmless" items aren't worth the risk. Anything that counts as contraband can come back on you, even after you've left.
During a visit, you cannot exchange any object or article with an offender. The only exception is items purchased from available vending machines. Also, plan as though anything you bring could disappear if misplaced. The DOC assumes no responsibility for items lost, stolen, or left in or around the visiting area or on DOC grounds.
Prescription Med Rule
- ✓ Keep each prescription medication in its pharmacy-issued container.
- ✓ Make sure the pharmacy label is attached.
- ✓ Do not combine separate medications in one container.
If you bring prescription medication, expect visiting staff to hold it at the officer station for accountability purposes. This is normal procedure. Be ready to hand it over during check-in and retrieve it when you're done.
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