Research Hub · Colorado
Every Colorado prison, jail and ICE detention center in the hub's data, what the environmental measures show, and what has been documented about conditions inside. Colorado's case rests on conditions, exposure, buildings and the state's own temperature standard.
What the data shows
The median Colorado facility had 0.0 hot humid days a year in 2016–2020, compared with 5.4 for the median U.S. facility. Only a few had any: Bent County Correctional Facility (3.8 days); Prowers County Jail / Sheriff (1.4 days); Yuma County Jail / Sheriff (0.4 days); Sterling Correctional Facility (0.2 days).
Hot humid day = peak wet-bulb globe temperature of 28°C (about 82°F) or more. Tuholske et al. 2024
The median summer daytime land surface temperature at Colorado's state and federal prisons is 43.4°C (110°F). Hottest: Crowley County Correctional Facility 48.3°C (119°F); Delta Correctional Center 48.0°C (118°F); Trinidad Correctional Facility 47.6°C (118°F); Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility 47.4°C (117°F). This is the temperature of the ground and roofs, not of the air inside.
NASA MODIS, June–August 2013–2023, via Mothes & Hunt 2023
Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, FCI Englewood, Gilliam Youth Services Center, FCI Englewood Detention Center, FCI Englewood Camp, Youthful Offender System, Mount View Youth Services Center, Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center, Pueblo Youth Services Center, San Carlos Correctional Facility, La Vista Correctional Facility. The Lincoln Park / Cotter Uranium Mill Superfund site, listed in 1984, sits about 2 miles south of Cañon City.
Highest wildfire hazard among Colorado prisons: Rifle Correctional Center (95 pct); Robert E Denier Youth Services Center (88 pct); Zebulon Pike Youth Services Center (75 pct). Smoke from the 2013 Royal Gorge fire forced more than 900 people out of Colorado Territorial. A 2023 flood threat emptied Delta Correctional Center. The 2025 Lee Fire moved 179 people out of Rifle for more than two weeks.
USDA Forest Service Wildfire Hazard Potential via Mothes & Hunt 2023 · Claims Journal, 2013 · Dashti et al., via CU Boulder Today, 2023 · KUNC, 2025
So the question is inside the walls
Colorado's own health rules require prison indoor temperatures below 86°F in the warmest months and at least 61°F in the coldest (6 CCR 1010-13 §9.4). Whether a facility meets that depends on how it is built, how it is cooled, where the air goes, and what people are allowed to do to cope. See how cooling systems move air through a housing unit → · Follow a July day hour by hour →
The buildings
Colorado's prisons are old. Their heating, cooling and water systems show up again and again on the state's repair plans, and maintenance has been funded at a fraction of what the department says it needs.
Five of 19 facilities were built before 1960. Fremont Correctional Facility was built in 1957 for 900 people; it held 1,664 in 2025.
JBC staff capital briefing FY24-25 · CDOC capital request FY26-27
Arkansas Valley, Fremont, Centennial, Buena Vista, Sterling, Arrowhead, Denver Women's, Limon (chillers) and the Colorado State Penitentiary (boiler).
The department says its buildings need $19.0 million a year for upkeep. It got $5.8 million in FY23-24.
Maintenance money for corrections buildings, per year
Funding by year: State Architect maintenance history. Stated need: JBC staff capital briefing FY24-25.
The kitchen "lacks sufficient air exhaust and heating, and has no air conditioning." Humidity has caused ceilings to collapse.
City water has eaten through the steam lines. More than four million gallons of drinking water have been lost to leaks.
Hot-water lines leaked about 400 gallons an hour; losing them "would discontinue heat, laundry, and food service." Showers and toilets have not been renovated since it opened in 1987.
When systems fail
Events reported in public sources, newest first.
| Date | Where | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | Rifle Correctional Center | Lee Fire: 179 people moved to Buena Vista for more than two weeks | KUNC, 2025 |
| Apr 2024 | East Cañon City complex | Water leak: about 4,700 people and 622 staff without water; state emergency center activated | CDOC press release, April 2024 |
| Mar 2024 | East Cañon City complex | Snowstorm: six-hour power outage, two miles of power lines damaged | CDOC capital request FY26-27 |
| May 2023 | Delta Correctional Center | Hundreds evacuated under a flood threat | Dashti et al., via CU Boulder Today, 2023 |
| 2020 | Denver Women's CF | Air conditioning out; 97°F inside; a whole wing moved until it was fixed | Prison Journalism Project, 2024 |
| Dec 2019 | Fremont Correctional Facility | A boiler exploded, killing Sgt. Joshua Voth | CBS Colorado, 2019 |
| Jun 2013 | Colorado Territorial CF | Royal Gorge fire smoke: more than 900 people evacuated | Claims Journal, 2013 |
The climate
Colorado is not Texas. But it is getting hotter, and fire season is longer.
Very hot days (95°F or more) have been above the long-term average since 2000. 2012 was the hottest year on record.
Colorado warmed 2.3°F from 1980 to 2022. Warming will make heat waves, drought and wildfires more frequent and severe.
Denver averages 44 such days a year. Most Colorado prisons sit outside Denver, on the plains and in the Arkansas Valley.
EPA rated the Denver Metro/North Front Range area a "severe" violator of the 2008 ozone standard in 2022. People inside report smoke coming through the vents, and being written up for covering them.
The rules
Two sets of rules apply: the state health department's sanitary standards and the Department of Corrections' own administrative regulations (ARs).
Temperature (§9.4): at least 61°F in the coldest months and below 86°F in the warmest.
Air (§9.3): at least 10 cubic feet of air per minute per person; 15 in new or remodeled buildings, 5 of it outside air.
Water (§10.10): at least one drinking faucet per cell block or level, plus day rooms and exercise rooms.
Showers (§10.6): hot and cold water, 100–120°F; one shower per 8 people.
Bedding (§12.3): "sufficient blankets to provide comfort under existing temperature controls."
Written for outdoor work and recreation. Supervisors check the heat index when it is forecast to hit 90°F. At a 105°F heat index the shift commander declares an alert: non-essential strenuous outdoor work and recreation stop, and outdoor workers get chilled water and shade breaks. A cold alert starts at a −18°F wind chill.
The regulation sets no temperature for housing units, cells or day rooms. Its stated authority is Colorado's farmworker heat law and labor rule.
One fan is allowed in incentive, minimum, medium and close custody units. Fans are not allowed in four restrictive housing designations on the list, including management control units. Two thermal shirts and two thermal pants are allowed at every level. In restrictive housing, property "may be limited, or removed altogether."
To sue over conditions, a person must first finish all three grievance steps. A first grievance is due within 30 days. Each one may raise only one problem, with "only one line of dialogue" per line on the form and no extra pages until Step 3. A procedural denial means the person has not exhausted. "Housing Conditions" is a listed grievance subject.
New Mexico logs indoor temperatures every 2 hours in summer. California steps up its response at 90°F and 95°F indoors. Texas has been ordered to air-condition every prison by 2029. Colorado's heat rule covers the yard, not the cell.
AR 850-11, the clothing and dress-code regulation, is listed on CDOC's index but could not be opened. It is the most likely place for rules on layering or altering clothing.
Air conditioning is turned on by a set date, "not in response to say, a heat wave." Vent filters were not changed consistently.
Covering a vent with a T-shirt can bring an infraction, sometimes solitary. Undressing to cool off can lead to segregation.
An 8-inch canteen fan cost $29.66 in 2023, against pay of under $1 a day. Orders took weeks and often came back out of stock.
Summer ground temperature
Average daytime land surface temperature, June–August 2013–2023, within each prison's boundary. Each dot is one prison; Limon and Sterling are shown darker. Hover a dot for °F.
Documented conditions
Only what public sources say. Cooling systems are not published facility by facility; the table marks what has been documented.
Swamp coolers, with south-tier cells usually above 90°F. A fan from the prison store cost $29.66 with 3–7 week waits, at 86¢ a day in state pay.
Has air conditioning. When it broke and temperatures reached 97°F, a wing was moved.
Where AC exists, it is often switched on by calendar date, not by the heat. Covering a vent against wildfire smoke can bring an infraction.
Of 110 Colorado facilities, 74.5%, holding 83% of incarcerated people, faced moderate or high exposure to at least one hazard; about half faced extreme heat risk.
Researchers found many facilities lack air conditioning or don't use it properly; some people feared punishment for complaining.
For current counts by facility, the Colorado Department of Corrections posts monthly reports.
The full record
Hazard measures (ground heat, flood and fire percentiles, Superfund) cover state and federal prisons. Hot humid days cover prisons and jails. Populations are as reported to the federal HIFLD list; dates vary. "Aurora Detention Facility" and "ICE Denver Contract Detention Facility" may be the same site listed by two sources.
| Facility (click to see it in 3D) | City | Type | Opened · security | People | Summer ground °C | Flood pct | Fire pct | Superfund ≤5 km | Hot humid days/yr | Cooling, heating & water (documented) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Youth Services Center ↗ | Brighton | Prison · State | — | 23 | — | 28 | 34 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility ↗ | Ordway | Prison · State | 1987 · Level III | 1,047 | 47.4 (117°F) | 28 | 51 | No | 0.0 | HVAC improvements on the state repair plan source Hot-water lines leaking about 400 gallons an hour (2022) source |
| Arrowhead Correctional Center ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1989 · Level II | 521 | 44.1 (111°F) | 28 | 67 | No | 0.0 | Living-unit HVAC controls on the state repair plan source |
| Aurora Detention Facility ↗ | Aurora | Prison · Federal | — | 402 | 45.4 (114°F) | 77 | 53 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Bent County Correctional Facility ↗ | Las Animas | Prison · State | 1993 · Level III · CoreCivic | 1,416 | 43.3 (110°F) | 28 | 55 | No | 3.8 | Not documented |
| Buena Vista Correctional Facility ↗ | Buena Vista | Prison · State | 1892 · Medium/close | 1,212 | 42.5 (108°F) | 37 | 50 | No | 0.0 | HVAC and heat controls on the state repair plan source 1959 roof; more ventilation needed for air quality source |
| Centennial Correctional Facility ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1980 · Level V | 306 | 45.9 (115°F) | 28 | 66 | No | 0.0 | Cellhouse 7 HVAC replacement on the state repair plan source |
| Cheyenne Mountain Re-Entry Center ↗ | Colorado Springs | Prison · State | Closed 2020 (GEO Group) | 677 | 42.0 (108°F) | 80 | 51 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Colorado Correctional Center ↗ | Golden | Prison · State | Closed 2022 | 149 | — | 51 | 51 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Colorado State Penitentiary ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1993 · Level V | 700 | 45.9 (115°F) | 28 | 65 | No | 0.0 | Boiler replacement on the state repair plan source |
| Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1871 · Level III | 920 | 40.8 (105°F) | 78 | 54 | Yes | 0.0 | More than 900 people evacuated for wildfire smoke, 2013 source |
| Crowley County Correctional Facility ↗ | Olney Springs | Prison · State | 1998 · Level III · CoreCivic | 1,745 | 48.3 (119°F) | 28 | 40 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Delta Correctional Center ↗ | Delta | Prison · State | 1964 · Level I | 480 | 48.0 (118°F) | 70 | 74 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center ↗ | Denver | Prison · State | 1991 · Level V | 560 | 45.9 (115°F) | 79 | 49 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Denver Womens Correctional Facility ↗ | Denver | Prison · State | 1998 · All levels | 970 | 45.9 (115°F) | 78 | 47 | No | 0.0 | Air conditioning; failed in 2020 at 97°F and a wing was moved source Chiller replacement on the state repair plan source |
| FCI Englewood ↗ | Littleton | Prison · Federal | — | 637 | 42.2 (108°F) | 31 | 58 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| FCI Englewood Camp ↗ | Littleton | Prison · Federal | — | 159 | 42.2 (108°F) | 29 | 59 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| FCI Englewood Detention Center ↗ | Littleton | Prison · Federal | — | 175 | 42.2 (108°F) | 39 | 62 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| FCI Florence ↗ | Florence | Prison · Federal | — | 993 | 47.0 (117°F) | 28 | 60 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| FCI Florence Camp ↗ | Florence | Prison · Federal | — | 484 | 46.5 (116°F) | 28 | 62 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Four Mile Correctional Center ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1983 · Level II | 528 | 44.8 (113°F) | 30 | 67 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Fremont Correctional Facility ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1957 or 1962 · Level III | 1,606 | 40.7 (105°F) | 73 | 66 | No | 0.0 | Swamp coolers; south-tier cells usually above 90°F (2023) source HVAC controls on the state repair plan source Built 1957 for 900 people, holds 1,664 (2025) source |
| Gilliam Youth Services Center ↗ | Denver | Prison · State | — | 34 | 38.7 (102°F) | 28 | 16 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Grand Mesa Youth Services Center ↗ | Grand Junction | Prison · State | — | 63 | 46.5 (116°F) | — | 49 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| La Vista Correctional Facility ↗ | Pueblo | Prison · State | 2006 · Level III | 685 | 42.7 (109°F) | 49 | 33 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Limon Correctional Facility ↗ | Limon | Prison · State | 1991 · Level IV | 852 | 43.4 (110°F) | 28 | 18 | No | 0.0 | Central chillers; "Replace Chillers 1 & 3" on the state repair plan source |
| Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center ↗ | Golden | Prison · State | — | 147 | 39.0 (102°F) | 52 | 72 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Marvin W Foote Youth Services Center ↗ | Englewood | Prison · State | — | 39 | 43.7 (111°F) | 37 | 56 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Mount View Youth Services Center ↗ | Denver | Prison · State | — | 94 | 41.8 (107°F) | 28 | 53 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Platte Valley Youth Services Center ↗ | Greeley | Prison · State | — | 93 | 36.5 (98°F) | 92 | 28 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Pueblo Youth Services Center ↗ | Pueblo | Prison · State | — | 16 | 42.7 (109°F) | 40 | 31 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Ridge View Youth Services Center ↗ | Watkins | Prison · State | — | 122 | 44.4 (112°F) | 72 | 68 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Rifle Correctional Center ↗ | Rifle | Prison · State | 1960s · Level I | 192 | 40.5 (105°F) | 28 | 95 | No | 0.0 | 179 people evacuated for 2+ weeks, Lee Fire, 2025 source |
| Robert E Denier Youth Services Center ↗ | Durango | Prison · State | — | 8 | 41.4 (106°F) | 48 | 88 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| San Carlos Correctional Facility ↗ | Pueblo | Prison · State | 1995 · Level V | 219 | 42.7 (109°F) | 63 | 32 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Skyline Correctional Center ↗ | Canon City | Prison · State | 1957 · Level I | 250 | 43.9 (111°F) | 28 | 67 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Spring Creek Youth Services Center ↗ | Colorado Springs | Prison · State | — | 47 | 36.5 (98°F) | 77 | 43 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Sterling Correctional Facility ↗ | Sterling | Prison · State | 1999 · Minimum to close | 2,486 | 43.2 (110°F) | 28 | 28 | No | 0.2 | HVAC controls for living units on the state repair plan source Kitchen "has no air conditioning" (2022 request) source Steam lines failing; over 4 million gallons of water lost source |
| Trinidad Correctional Facility ↗ | Model | Prison · State | 2001 · Level II | 503 | 47.6 (118°F) | 28 | 47 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| USP Florence Admax ↗ | Florence | Prison · Federal | — | 428 | 46.9 (116°F) | 28 | 61 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| USP Florence High ↗ | Florence | Prison · Federal | — | 820 | 46.5 (116°F) | 28 | 60 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Youthful Offender System ↗ | Pueblo | Prison · State | — | 15 | 42.7 (109°F) | 59 | 27 | Yes | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Zebulon Pike Youth Services Center ↗ | Colorado Springs | Prison · State | — | 39 | — | 48 | 75 | No | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Boulder County Jail | Boulder | Jail · County | — | 767 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Broomfield Detention Center | Broomfield | Jail · Local | — | 145 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Delta County Detention Facility | Delta | Jail · County | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Douglas County Sheriffs Office Jail | Castle Rock | Jail · County | — | 349 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| El Paso County Criminal Justice Center | Colorado Springs | Jail · County | — | 1,432 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Elbert County Jail / Sheriff | Kiowa | Jail · County | — | 29 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Fremont County Detention Center | Canon City | Jail · County | — | 200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Garfield County Detention Facility | Glenwood Springs | Jail · County | — | 124 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Gunnison County Detention Center | Gunnison | Jail · County | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Jefferson County Detention Facility | Golden | Jail · County | — | 1,470 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Larimer County Jail | Fort Collins | Jail · County | — | 557 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Mesa County Jail / Sheriff | Grand Junction | Jail · County | — | 574 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Morgan County Jail / Sheriff | Fort Morgan | Jail · County | — | 250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Pitkin County Jail | Aspen | Jail · County | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Prowers County Jail / Sheriff | Lamar | Jail · County | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | 1.4 | Not documented |
| Pueblo County Detention Center | Pueblo | Jail · County | — | 545 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| San Miguel County Jail | Telluride | Jail · County | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center | Canon City | Jail · Multi | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Teller County Jail | Divide | Jail · County | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Washington County Justice Center | Akron | Jail · County | — | 190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | Not documented |
| Yuma County Jail / Sheriff | Wray | Jail · County | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | 0.4 | Not documented |
| ICE Denver Contract Detention Facility ↗ | Aurora | ICE · ICE | — | 236 | — | — | — | — | — | Not documented |
Sources: prison measures, Mothes & Hunt (2023), Mothes & Hunt 2023; hot humid days, Tuholske et al. (2024), Tuholske et al. 2024; ICE list, UCLA Law COVID Behind Bars.