Mail & Packages in Colorado (CDOC)

How to address it

Use the person’s commitment name (the legal name they were committed under; a later legal name may be added only after it), their DOC number, and the facility’s name and mailing address, which differs by prison and is listed on each facility’s CDOC page. Include a valid return address — mail without one may be rejected.

What happens to your letter

Colorado does not use a statewide outside company to scan personal mail; mail goes to the assigned prison. But at a set of facilities flagged by the Inspector General for contraband problems, all incoming mail is photocopied, the copy is delivered to the person, and the original is destroyed. Whether the original letter reaches the person therefore depends on which prison holds them; the current list of affected facilities is on CDOC’s Contact an Inmate page. Either way, write on plain paper and don’t count on a physical letter being kept.

Photos, cards, and publications

Photos may be sent through an approved vendor (handled like a publication, and not subject to the photocopying rule); explicit images are not allowed. Books, magazines, and newspapers must be new and sent directly from a publisher or an approved retailer — used items and items mailed by family are not accepted. (Large online retailers such as Amazon generally meet the “approved source” test.)

Care packages

Family care packages come only through Union Supply, CDOC’s approved provider, ordered online up to the spending limits set for the person’s facility. CDOC has at times also offered limited ordering through Amazon. Routine commissary items are ordered by the incarcerated person through the canteen.

Legal mail

Mail from a court or an attorney is privileged. When it is properly marked as legal mail and the sender is identifiable, it is opened only to inspect for contraband, in the person’s presence, and is not read for content.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.