Level V — residential mental-health treatment (men and women) · Correctional Facility · CDOC

San Carlos Correctional Facility

Pueblo, Pueblo County, Colorado

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (719) 583-5623 Info last verified: June 2026

Colorado's prison-based psychiatric treatment facility, in Pueblo — a Level V residential treatment program for people with serious mental illness, holding both men and women.

Statewide rules that apply at every Colorado state prison

These rules are set by CDOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Colorado.

Dress code

No clothing that is solid green, gray, orange, white, yellow, or camouflage, or that otherwise resembles what incarcerated people wear — Colorado prison uniforms are green.
Pants, skirts, and dresses must reach at least the top of the knee; no shorts of any kind and no cargo pants, and nothing tight or form-fitting such as leggings, spandex, or yoga pants.
Nothing sheer, ripped, or revealing — no exposed cleavage, back, or midriff when standing, sitting, or bending, and no spaghetti- or thin-strap tops; appropriate undergarments are required and must not be visible.
No hats, hoods, gloves, scarves, or coats in the visiting room (religious head coverings excepted), nothing showing gang, drug, profane, or offensive images, and jewelry limited to a wedding set, one religious medallion, and medical-alert items.

ID: Every visitor 18 or older shows a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID — the physical card, not a photocopy or digital ID — and must already be on the incarcerated person's approved list, which is capped at 12 adults (minors do not count).
What to bring: Almost nothing comes into the visit room. The only item allowed for purchases is one debit or credit card for the vending machines — no cash or coins — and phones, watches, and other electronics are prohibited; prescription medication must be in its original labeled container.
Scheduling: Each visitor applies to the facility where the person is held, and visits are generally by appointment, with days and hours set by that prison — there is no single statewide schedule, so confirm the facility's process and book ahead before traveling.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Colorado

Overview

San Carlos Correctional Facility, at 1410 W. 13th Street in Pueblo, is CDOC’s prison-based psychiatric treatment facility — a Level V Residential Treatment Program that assesses and treats incarcerated people with acute and persistent serious mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities. It opened in July 1995 on the campus of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. People are typically transferred in from other CDOC prisons to receive care, and the facility provides individual and group therapy, education, and recreation therapy. San Carlos is one of the few CDOC facilities that holds both men and women.

What Makes San Carlos Different

It is CDOC’s residential mental-health treatment facility for people with serious mental illness.
It holds both men and women, unusual in a system that otherwise separates by sex.
People are usually transferred in from other prisons for treatment, then return to a general-population setting or the community.
The visit format depends on treatment status — non-contact, contact, or video.

Visiting

The statewide CDOC rules above — the approved list, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at San Carlos. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Colorado.

Getting There and Parking

The facility is at 1410 W. 13th Street in Pueblo, on the Colorado Mental Health Institute campus.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Pueblo has the nearest hotels, restaurants, and services. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, the region’s only Level II trauma center.

Mail

Personal mail goes to the facility, addressed with the person’s commitment name and DOC number. San Carlos is one of the CDOC facilities that photocopies incoming personal mail, delivers the copy, and destroys the original — so do not send originals you want returned. Legal mail is opened only to inspect for contraband, in the person’s presence. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Colorado state prison:

Visiting in Colorado — the approved list, the dress code, and ID rules
Mail & Packages — the DOC number, photocopying, and publisher-only books
Phone & Video Calls — free calls, Securus, and tablets
Sending Money — CorrectPay deposits
Medical & Mental Health — the co-pay, HIPAA releases, and Constituent Services
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, the locator, and VINE

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.