How Many Prisons Does Colorado Actually Have? The Full List

Last night, as I was watching the latest episode of Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount Plus, I got to wondering something about prisons. Many Coloradans know the lore of ADX Florence, located in Fremont County.

This prison houses the most dangerous male inmates in the federal prison system and the highest security prison in the United States. Infamous inmates, past and present, include Ted Kaczynski, AKA the "Unabomber", Richard Reid, AKA the "Shoe Bomber", Timothy McVeigh, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.  According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, USP Florence ADMAX houses 378 total inmates inside the walls of the prison.

READ MORE: Colorado Crime and Safety Statistics

However, there are many more prisons in the state of Colorado that you might not be aware of. In total, there are 19 state-run facilities and a youth offender system within Colorado's borders.

Full List of Colorado State and Private Prisons

• Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility - Crowley County - Medium Custody
• Buena Vista Correctional Complex - Chaffee County - Level 3 state-run
• Arrowhead Correctional Center - Fremont County - Minimum Restricted Custody
• Centennial Correctional Facility - Fremont County - Maximum Custody
• Colorado State Penitentiary - Fremont County - Medium Custody
• Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility - Fremont County - Medium Custody
• Fremont Correctional Facility - Fremont County - Mixed Custody
• Four Mile Correctional Center- Fremont County - Minimum Restricted Custody
• Delta Correctional Center - Delta County - Minimum Custody
• Rifle Correctional Center - Rifle County - Minimum Custody

READ MORE: Colorado True Crime Stories

• Limon Correctional Facility - Lincoln County - High Security
• Sterling Correctional Facility - Logan County - Multiple Levels
• San Carlos Correctional Facility - Pueblo County - Specialized for Mental Health
• La Vista Correctional Facility - Pueblo County - Level 3 state-run
• Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center - Denver County - Intake for New Inmates
• Denver Women's Correctional Facility - Denver County - Multiple Custody Levels
• Youthful Offender System - Pueblo County - Young Inmates under CDOC Custody
• Bent County Correction Facility (Private) - Bent County - Medium Custody
• Crowley County Correctional Facility (Private) - Crowley County - Medium Custody
• Trinidad Correctional Facility - Las Animas County - Minimum Restricted Custody

The Prison Valley of Fremont County

Fremont County, Colorado, has been dubbed the "Prison Valley" and is home to 15 high-security prisons. Seven of those prisons are located within the city limits of Canon City, Colorado.