Family Rights and Advocacy in Colorado | InmateAid
Colorado passed **HB 25-1013** in 2025. Governor Polis signed it. Family visitation -- in-person visits, phone calls, and video visits -- is now a **legal right** for people incarcerated in Colorado state prisons, not a privilege that can be taken away as punishment.
Under the old policy, CDOC classified visitation as a privilege that could be "approved, denied, suspended, or revoked" by facility heads. Under the new law, CDOC can still adopt rules to govern how visitation is administered, but it cannot restrict visitation beyond what is necessary for routine facility operations or safety. Visits cannot be withheld as punishment for an incarcerated person's actions. If your loved one is denied visitation in violation of this law, they can file a grievance with CDOC.
This is not a small change. Families across Colorado have traveled to CDOC facilities only to be turned away without adequate notice -- Evonne Carroll, whose husband is at Buena Vista Correctional Complex, told the Colorado legislature she received a cancellation call while already on her way to the airport with her two-year-old daughter, losing $1,700 in travel costs. The new law exists because of stories like hers.
The second major legal development in Colorado is from February 2026: a Denver District Court ruled in **Mortis v. Polis** that CDOC's prison labor program violates Colorado's constitution. The 2018 voter-approved Amendment A abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in Colorado prisons. The court found that CDOC's system of coercing incarcerated people to work through disciplinary threats was unconstitutional. A subsequent ruling in March 2026 ordered CDOC to stop placing people in solitary confinement for refusing to work.
Both of these -- the visitation right and the forced labor ruling -- are the result of direct organizing by families and advocacy organizations. The organizations that did that work are named in this article.
Colorado's CDOC phone system uses **Securus Technologies**, which replaced GTL/ViaPath in September 2023. Securus Customer Service: **972-734-1111**.
What Families Are Facing in Colorado
Colorado's CDOC operates facilities across the state. The largest concentration is in Cañon City (Fremont County, south-central Colorado -- multiple facilities including the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility and others). Other major facilities:
- **Buena Vista Correctional Complex** (Chaffee County, central Colorado mountains -- about 2.5 hours from Denver)
- **Sterling Correctional Facility** (Logan County, northeastern plains -- about 1.5 hours from Denver)
- **Limon Correctional Facility** (Lincoln County, eastern plains)
- **La Junta facilities** (Otero County, southeastern Colorado)
- **Denver Women's Correctional Facility** (Denver)
- **Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP)** (Pueblo/Cañon City area -- high security; visitation by appointment at 719-269-5252)
Cañon City is the heart of Colorado's prison system. For Denver families, most facilities are 1.5-3 hours away. For families in rural or remote parts of the state, the distances are longer. The visitation right matters practically: if you drive to Buena Vista and are turned away, you now have a legal remedy.
On phone: Securus Technologies is the vendor for all CDOC facilities since September 2023. Set up a Securus account at securustech.net. Phone and video calls are available. Post-FCC rate caps (April 2026) apply to interstate calls.
On mail: Verify current CDOC mail policy at cdoc.colorado.gov or by emailing cdoc@state.co.us. Colorado has not announced a system-wide digital mail scanning transition as of research, but verify before sending.
For general questions: email CDOC at cdoc@state.co.us.
Your Rights as a Family Member in Colorado
Visitation rights
Under HB 25-1013 (effective 2025), family visitation is now a legal right for people incarcerated in Colorado state prisons.
What the law means in practice:
- Visits (in-person, phone, video) cannot be withheld as punishment for an incarcerated person's actions
- CDOC can still adopt rules governing how visits are administered
- CDOC can restrict visits only for legitimate safety reasons or routine facility operations -- not as a disciplinary tool
- CDOC can limit visitation for people in restrictive housing with certain high-level violations
- CDOC can limit visits to comply with court orders on victim safety or co-defendant communication
- If your loved one is denied visitation in violation of the law, they can file a grievance with CDOC
What the law does not do: it does not remove the requirement for approved visitor lists, background checks, or compliance with facility dress codes and search procedures.
Contact CDOC for current visitation scheduling procedures at cdoc.colorado.gov or cdoc@state.co.us.
For Colorado State Penitentiary (high security): visitation by appointment, call 719-269-5252.
Communication rights
You have no legal right to receive calls. Your loved one must add your number to their approved list through the Securus system. Securus is the vendor for all CDOC facilities. Set up an account at securustech.net.
Under HB 25-1013, phone and video call access is also a right that cannot be withheld as punishment.
All calls are recorded except legal calls to attorneys.
Notification rights
CDOC is not required to notify family members of transfers. Use the CDOC offender search at cdoc.colorado.gov to track current location. CDOC notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths -- your loved one must have designated you in their records.
Grievance rights
Internal CDOC grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. Under HB 25-1013, they now have an explicit grievance right when visitation is denied in violation of the law -- which is more than was available before.
As a family member, your external pathways:
- CDOC Inspector General (through cdoc.colorado.gov)
- Contact your Colorado state legislators
- Contact advocacy organizations below
- For forced labor issues: contact Towards Justice or End Slavery Colorado
End Slavery Colorado and the Legal Context
Two things happened in Colorado in 2025 and 2026 that define the current landscape for incarcerated people and their families.
**HB 25-1013 (visitation as a right, 2025)**: The bill emerged from conversations with End Slavery Colorado and was driven by the story of families like Evonne Carroll's. It passed the Colorado House on March 26, 2025 (44-21) and the Colorado Senate on May 2, 2025 (22-12), and was signed by Governor Polis. It ended the practice of using family visits as a punishment tool.
**Mortis v. Polis (February-March 2026)**: Brought by Towards Justice, End Slavery Colorado, and Maxted Law in Denver District Court. The court ruled on February 17-18, 2026 that CDOC's prison labor management system unconstitutionally coerces people to work in violation of the 2018 Amendment A (which abolished slavery as punishment in Colorado). A March 2026 ruling ordered CDOC to stop placing people in solitary for refusing to work.
These two developments together represent the most significant expansion of incarcerated people's constitutional rights in Colorado in years. The organizations behind them are below.
Colorado Family Advocacy Organizations
Colorado-CURE (CO-CURE)
coloradocure.org
Colorado-CURE is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to correctional reform in Colorado. Their membership includes incarcerated people, parolees, family members, loved ones, advocates, and current and former CDOC employees. Their two goals: using incarceration only for those who absolutely must be incarcerated, and providing rehabilitative resources and opportunities for those who are incarcerated.
What CO-CURE does for families: education on the criminal justice system, advocacy for fair treatment, information and tools for navigating CDOC, and community with other families and advocates in Colorado.
Colorado-CURE is one of the most established family-inclusive advocacy organizations in the state. If you want to connect with other directly impacted Colorado families and get involved in reform advocacy, CO-CURE is the starting point.
End Slavery Colorado
endslaverycolo.org
End Slavery Colorado is the advocacy organization directly behind both the HB 25-1013 visitation right and the Mortis v. Polis forced labor litigation. They organized around Colorado's 2018 Amendment A (abolishing prison slavery) and have continued pushing for its implementation against CDOC's resistance.
What End Slavery Colorado does: advocacy at the Colorado Legislature, community organizing with directly impacted people and families, involvement in litigation against CDOC's unconstitutional labor practices. If your loved one has been placed in solitary for refusing to work, or had visits taken away as punishment, End Slavery Colorado is the organization to contact.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
famm.org
FAMM has an active Colorado network. They advocate for sentencing reform, compassionate release, and second-look sentencing. If your loved one is serving an excessive mandatory sentence, FAMM's Colorado network connects families to advocacy and each other.
Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf
ACLU of Colorado
aclu-co.org
303 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 350, Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 720-402-3107
The ACLU of Colorado handles civil rights cases including prisoners' rights. They have been involved in monitoring CDOC conditions and constitutional issues. They do not take individual grievance cases routinely. Contact them when the issue involves a pattern of rights violations, unconstitutional conditions, or a systemic problem affecting multiple people at a facility.
Towards Justice
towardsjustice.org
1410 High St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80218
Phone: 720-441-2236
Towards Justice is a Denver-based legal nonprofit that brought Mortis v. Polis, the forced labor case that resulted in a February 2026 ruling that CDOC violated Colorado's constitution. Juno Turner is the litigation director. They focus on workers' rights including the rights of incarcerated workers.
If your loved one has been coerced to work, placed in solitary for refusing to work, or denied good time or privileges for refusing work assignments, Towards Justice is the legal organization to contact in connection with the Mortis ruling.
Colorado Defender Project / Colorado State Public Defender
coloradospd.org
Phone: 303-764-1400
If your loved one is still in the criminal case process or pursuing postconviction relief, the Colorado State Public Defender's office handles criminal defense. For civil prisoner rights matters (conditions of confinement, constitutional violations), the ACLU and Towards Justice are more appropriate.
Legal Aid Colorado
legalaidco.org
Statewide intake: through the website
For civil legal matters that arise in connection with incarceration -- family law, housing, benefits -- Legal Aid Colorado provides free civil legal assistance to income-eligible Coloradans.
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523
HRDC advocates on prison phone costs, publications access, and free speech in facilities. Family members can contact directly for issues involving blocked mail or publications or communication access restrictions.
How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf
Step 1: Document everything specific
Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. If the issue is a visitation denial under HB 25-1013, document the denial, when it happened, what reason was given, and when you were notified.
Step 2: CDOC Inspector General
Contact through cdoc.colorado.gov. For serious misconduct, abuse, or major rights violations inside CDOC facilities.
Step 3: CDOC general contact
Email cdoc@state.co.us for questions and concerns that do not rise to Inspector General level.
Step 4: Visitation grievance
Under HB 25-1013, your loved one can now file a formal grievance with CDOC if denied visitation in violation of the law. They must file the internal grievance; you can help document what happened and support the grievance from the outside.
Step 5: Contact your Colorado state legislators
State senator and state representative have oversight authority over CDOC. Find your legislators at leg.colorado.gov. The forced labor litigation and visitation rights law show that Colorado's legislature is currently engaged on these issues.
Step 6: Contact advocacy organizations
CO-CURE (coloradocure.org), End Slavery Colorado (endslaverycolo.org), ACLU of Colorado (720-402-3107), or Towards Justice (720-441-2236).
Step 7: Federal escalation
For civil rights violations: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (justice.gov/crt). For federal facilities in Colorado: BOP North Central Region.
What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal grievance for your loved one. You cannot override facility administration decisions. External organizations can advocate and litigate -- they cannot guarantee outcomes.
Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for Colorado Families
Phone and video
Securus Technologies is the CDOC phone vendor for all facilities (since September 2023). Create a Securus account at securustech.net. Securus Customer Service: **972-734-1111**.
Under HB 25-1013, phone and video calls are now a right that cannot be withheld as punishment. This changes the enforcement context for access issues.
Post-FCC rate caps (April 2026) apply to interstate calls. Verify current rates at the InmateAid Colorado phone page.
All calls are recorded except legal calls to attorneys.
Confirm current CDOC mail policy at cdoc.colorado.gov or cdoc@state.co.us before sending. Physical mail to facility addresses has been standard in Colorado; verify whether any scanning transition has been implemented.
Visiting
Under HB 25-1013, visits are now a legal right, not a privilege.
Current process: contact the specific facility for approved visitor list application, scheduling, dress code requirements, and visitor rules. Check cdoc.colorado.gov for facility-specific contact information.
For Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP): visitation by appointment, call 719-269-5252.
For general CDOC questions: cdoc@state.co.us.
Sending money
Through the Securus platform. Confirm options at securustech.net or the InmateAid Colorado send money page.
Locating your loved one
CDOC Offender Search: cdoc.colorado.gov
InmateAid Colorado inmate search: [internal link]
Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them
Colorado's advocacy landscape is more active right now than it has been in years. The 2025 visitation rights law and the 2026 forced labor ruling are direct results of organizing by families and advocacy communities.
Colorado-CURE connects you to a community of families, advocates, and directly impacted people working on correctional reform. coloradocure.org.
End Slavery Colorado organizes families and directly impacted people around constitutional rights and CDOC accountability. endslaverycolo.org.
FAMM (famm.org) connects Colorado families navigating excessive sentences to advocacy campaigns and to each other.
Worth Rises (worthrises.org) monitors phone and commissary vendor costs. Securus replaced GTL/ViaPath in September 2023 in Colorado -- if you have experienced billing issues or rate problems with the new system, Worth Rises documents these.
If your loved one has been put in solitary for refusing to work since the February 2026 Mortis ruling, contact Towards Justice at 720-441-2236. The court ordered that practice to stop. If it is still happening, it needs to be documented and reported.
Frequently asked questions
What does HB 25-1013 mean for Colorado families?
Under the law signed by Governor Polis in 2025, family visitation -- including in-person visits, phone calls, and video visits -- is now a legal right for people incarcerated in Colorado state prisons. These visits cannot be withheld as punishment for an incarcerated person's actions. CDOC can still restrict visits for legitimate safety reasons or for people in restrictive housing with serious violations, but the blanket punishment tool that allowed wardens to cancel family visits is gone. If your loved one is denied visitation in violation of the law, they can file a grievance with CDOC.
What is the Mortis v. Polis case?
A class action lawsuit brought by Towards Justice, End Slavery Colorado, and Maxted Law in Denver District Court, challenging CDOC's prison labor program as a violation of Colorado's 2018 Amendment A, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in prisons. In February 2026, a judge ruled that CDOC's system of coercing people to work through disciplinary threats is unconstitutional. A March 2026 ruling ordered CDOC to stop putting people in solitary for refusing to work. If your loved one has been placed in solitary for refusing a work assignment, contact Towards Justice at 720-441-2236.
What is Colorado-CURE?
Colorado-CURE (coloradocure.org) is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to correctional reform advocacy in Colorado. Their membership includes incarcerated people, parolees, family members, and advocates. They provide education on the criminal justice system, information on navigating CDOC, and community with other directly impacted Colorado families.
What is End Slavery Colorado?
End Slavery Colorado (endslaverycolo.org) is the advocacy organization behind Colorado's 2018 Amendment A (abolishing prison slavery) and the HB 25-1013 visitation rights law. They organized around the constitutional amendment, pushed for the visitation rights bill, and were involved in the Mortis forced labor litigation. If your loved one's visits have been used as a punishment or they have been coerced into work assignments, contact End Slavery Colorado.
What is the phone vendor for Colorado CDOC?
Securus Technologies. Colorado CDOC transitioned from GTL/ViaPath to Securus in September 2023. All facilities are now on Securus. Set up an account at securustech.net. Securus Customer Service: 972-734-1111.
Can I file a grievance for my loved one with CDOC?
No. Internal CDOC grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. Under HB 25-1013, they have a specific grievance pathway if denied visitation in violation of the law. You can help document what happened to support the grievance. External contacts for family members: CDOC Inspector General (through cdoc.colorado.gov), ACLU of Colorado (720-402-3107), and advocacy organizations.
How do I contact CDOC with questions or concerns?
Email: cdoc@state.co.us. Website: cdoc.colorado.gov. For facility-specific questions: contact the facility directly through the directory at cdoc.colorado.gov. For Colorado State Penitentiary visitation scheduling: 719-269-5252. --- [SPEC NOTE: Series folder 1intOvghBAhj6-_YzDsYllOy4scUOeEGh. Internal CTAs: Colorado inmate search, send money to Colorado inmates, Colorado reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: coloradonewsline.com May 5 2025 (Colorado Legislature approved bill give incarcerated people right see families community ending policy visitation withheld punishment; HB 25-1013; current CDOC policy inmate social visiting privilege approved denied suspended revoked head facility; all visitors incarcerated people must still comply department rules related visitation; grievance if prevented visitation under requirements bill; CDOC limit visitation restrictive housing certain high-level violations; limit comply court orders victim safety co-defendants; reasonable measures increase access telephone calls non-contact visits restrictive housing; Senate President James Coleman Denver Democrat House Rep Jennifer Bacon Regina English Sen Tony Exum Colorado Springs Democrats); coloradonewsline.com February 18 2025 (bill establish right family visitation incarcerated people; End Slavery Colorado conversation Bacon; 2018 Amendment A removed provision permitted slavery punishment crime; Evonne Carroll Las Vegas husband CDOC two years prison one month before daughter born travel Buena Vista Correctional Complex cancellation call on way airport two-year-old $1,700 trip; CDOC spokesperson Alondra Gonzalez-Garcia supports visitation importance need established practices allowable adaptations safety staff inmates visitors); cpr.org June 5 2025 (prison visitation rights law; House March 26 2025 44-21 Senate May 2 2025 22-12 party lines Republicans opposition); coloradonewsline.com February 18 2026 (Mortis v. Polis Denver District Court CDOC violates Colorado Constitution prison labor program; Amendment A 2018 abolished slavery involuntary servitude; Towards Justice End Slavery Colorado Maxted Law; system-wide practice violating people rights; court found machinery coercion pervasive actively operationalized feature CDOC labor management; David Maxted lead trial counsel; Juno Turner litigation director Towards Justice; David Seligman executive director Towards Justice Democratic candidate Colorado AG; first-in-nation case); boltsmag.org March 2026 (judge orders Colorado stop throwing prisoners solitary refusing work; March 2026 ruling stop solitary confinement refusing work; Ray End Slavery Colorado; advocates worry leaves enough wiggle room deducting good time accruals denying visitation rights; End Slavery Colorado Towards Justice stand ready work CDOC drafting new policies prison labor; new governor most legislature elected year; Maxted expects activists pressure those running commit legislative solution); cbsnews.com Colorado February 17 2026 (Denver judge Colorado Department Corrections violates state constitution prison labor program; ruling celebrated law firms legal groups brought case; David Maxted lead trial counsel; Juno Turner class counsel litigation director Towards Justice legal nonprofit; Governor Polis named defendant; Amendment A not suggestion mandate people Colorado end slavery); cdoc.colorado.gov September 2023 (CDOC transitioning GTL/Viapath inmate phone system Securus phone system September 2023; Go-Live dates September 11-14 2023 Limon Delta La Vista San Carlos YOS Sterling Denver Women's; inmate phone lists GTL phone account balances transferred Securus population start making calls immediately; Securus online account inmates contacts; Securus customer service 972-734-1111 securustech.net/contact-us); cdoc.colorado.gov October 2024 (CSP Colorado State Penitentiary resumed normal operations visitation October 28; appointments CSP Visiting Office 719-269-5252); cdoc.colorado.gov email cdoc@state.co.us; coloradocure.org (CO-CURE nonprofit 501c3 educational organization correctional reform advocacy Colorado; mission fair treatment justice correctional system information tools understand criminal justice system advocate changes; two goals prisons only those absolutely must incarcerated rehabilitative resources opportunities turn lives around; members incarcerated parole family loved ones supporters correctional reform former employees CDOC); endslaverycolo.org; towardsjustice.org 1410 High St Suite 300 Denver CO 80218 720-441-2236 Juno Turner litigation director workers rights incarcerated workers; aclu-co.org 303 E 17th Avenue Suite 350 Denver CO 80203 720-402-3107; legalaidco.org; coloradospd.org 303-764-1400; Human Rights Defense Center 561-360-2523; famm.org; worthrises.org; leg.colorado.gov; justice.gov/crt. NOTE for Poorwa: CRITICAL -- verify HB 25-1013 was signed by Governor Polis and is now in effect (CPR reported June 5 2025; confirm effective date and whether CDOC has implemented); verify Mortis v. Polis March 2026 ruling ordering stop of solitary confinement for refusing work is still in effect (confirm through Towards Justice or Colorado Newsline); verify Securus Technologies still CDOC phone vendor 972-734-1111 securustech.net; verify CDOC email cdoc@state.co.us current; verify CDOC Colorado mail policy -- has Colorado implemented digital mail scanning? (not confirmed in research; check cdoc.colorado.gov); verify CSP visitation by appointment 719-269-5252 current; verify CO-CURE coloradocure.org current; verify End Slavery Colorado endslaverycolo.org current; verify Towards Justice towardsjustice.org 720-441-2236 current; verify ACLU Colorado aclu-co.org 720-402-3107 current; verify Legal Aid Colorado legalaidco.org current; verify HB 25-1013 grievance pathway for visitation denial -- how to file, where; verify CDOC Inspector General contact through cdoc.colorado.gov; verify FCC April 2026 rate caps apply; len/char check before publish.]
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