Guidelines for Guests

You are requesting clearance to visit a Colorado Department of Corrections facility as a guest. To make your visit safe we ask you to read the following guidelines and sign on page 2. Remain with your escort at all times and follow directions. Enjoy your visit.

The completed form must be submitted for each guest request when providing background information for clearance.

Do's for Guests

• DO REMEMBER!!! SECURITY ALWAYS COMES FIRST!
• Do follow DOC rules. Ask questions if you are uncertain.
• Do dress appropriately. Casual business attire. Conservative is best.
• Do sign-in and sign-out on the appropriate forms each time you enter or leave ANY DOC FACILITY.
• Do wear the appropriate badge in view of security DOC employees at all times. (Green – Volunteer, Red – Guest)
• Do respect the confidentiality of records and other privileged information. Listen carefully and sincerely.
• Do recognize the need for ongoing training and supervision.
• Do be loyal to the DOC and the offenders you serve. Be a team player and always remain professional.
• Do be dependable. Arrive and leave on time. Earn respect from the offenders and DOC employees.
• Do notify the facility coordinator or shift commander if it is impossible to be at the facility on time.
• Do treat everyone in a professional and ethical manner, but do not become personally involved.
• Do treat offenders with respect. Maintain honesty and accept others whose values system maybe different from your own.
• Do be objective, enthusiastic, mature and confident. Do use discretion and good judgment.
• Do submit reports when required.
• Do obtain written approval from the facility volunteer coordinator prior to changing the program formats.

Don'ts for Guests

• Do not supply phone number or address or personal information about yourself, other volunteers, or DOC employees.
• Do not touch offenders inappropriately (NO HUGGING - Handshake only).
• Do not criticize what is not understood. Ask for an explanation.
• Do not make a phone call for an offender, or perform any similar service.
• Do not give anything to an offender.
• Do not take anything, including letters, into a facility. Bring nothing out without explicit permission.
• Do not enter into a business venture with an offender.
• Do not give gifts, loans, or items to an offender. Do not accept gifts, loans, or items from an offender.
• Do not use photography equipment on institutional property for any purpose without specific permission.
• Do not proselytize. You may share your faith beliefs when asked.
• Do not make derogatory remarks about ANY faith group or other organization.
• Do not promise to keep information given you by an offender confidential if it involves safety and security in any manner.
• Do not wear tight fitting clothing, shorts, cut offs, dresses above the knees, or any revealing clothing.
  
  Any violations of these do's and don'ts may result in the termination of your guest service!

Security Issues

Safety and security are our top priority. If you observe an unsafe or non-secured condition, notify your facility chaplain, volunteer coordinator, or other DOC employees immediately.

Professionalism: Volunteers aid DOC employees. Appearance, conduct, language, and attitude reflect your character and integrity. Earn respect and be patient with DOC employees.

Personal parameters and boundaries: When possible, use formal titles, such as: Administrative Head, Captain, Officer, Mr., Ms., or Sir. Do not befriend an offender for the purpose of intimacy. Do not supply your phone number or address, or personal information about yourself, another volunteer, or DOC employee. Avoid contact with an ex-offender.

Contraband: Any item not specifically authorized by a departmental administrative directive may be considered contraband and may be confiscated to avoid compromising facility safety and security. Offender property must come from approved sources – NOT VOLUNTEERS OR GUESTS. REMEMBER: Nothing in; nothing out.

Search procedures: Any person and/or vehicle is subject to search upon entering the grounds of a correctional facility. Volunteers and guests may refuse to be searched. Such refusal will result in termination of volunteer or guest status. Facility access may require an individual to clear a metal detector. Ensure clothing and additional adornment items are free of metal (bobby pins, hair ties, ink pens, etc

Managing aggressive behavior: If an offender becomes hostile, remain calm, back away, and immediately seek DOC employee assistance; correctional employees are trained to handle difficult situations. If alone, gradually move to a location where you can be seen by DOC employees.

Offender Fights: Do not try to break up offender fights. Summon DOC employees to handle the situation.

Meet Your Clients

Offenders are former free citizens who have committed crimes and are now confined. These offenders are like us in many ways. They have dreams, loved ones, and they laugh and cry. You may notice a sense of hopelessness among members of the offender population. As a volunteer or guest with an offender program, you bring in affirmation, encouragement, and hope.

Offenders tend to fall into one of four prison cultures:

1. Individuals: A large majority of these offenders come from dysfunctional families. Physical or sexual abuse during childhood is common. Lack of education may cause people to turn to crime. Many offenders are functionally illiterate. Drug and alcohol use are often major influences in offender's lives.
2. Ethnic groups: The offender population within the DOC is made up of several ethnic groups. The percentages of these groups vary in day to day operation. Be aware of the differing ethnic groups, and treat all with professional respect.
3. Gangs: Many offenders were gang members before incarceration. Others become members in prison as a means of survival. There are many different gangs represented in prison. Violence is often a part of gang affiliation.
4. Institutionalized: Prison becomes a comfort zone to this group of offenders. Since the DOC provides all their necessities, they are comfortable in prison and therefore hesitant to leave the prison environment.

Offender Relationships – Please circle yes or no for each question. Please submit written details for any ‘yes’ on a separate sheet of paper.

Consent to Search Authorization and Registration

A. Under the provisions of Colorado law, the following items are declared contraband to the offender population. Visitors will not introduce or attempt to introduce these items into this facility/office or at any location where an offender is likely to be located while such offender is in the custody and under the jurisdiction of a political subdivision of the State of Colorado or the Department of Corrections, but not on parole.

1. Any dangerous instrument: A firearm, explosive device or substance (including ammunition), knife or sharpened instrument, poison, acid, bludgeon, or projective device, or any other device, instrument, material, or substance which is readily capable of causing or inducing fear of death or bodily injury, the use of which is not specifically authorized.
2. Alcoholic beverages.
3. Controlled substances.
4. Marijuana and/or marijuana products.
5. Any key, key pattern, key replica, or lock pick.
6. Any tool or instrument that could be used to cut fence or wire, dig, pry, or file.
7. Any money or coin of United States or foreign currency or any written instrument of value.
8. Any un-canceled postage stamp or implement of the United States postal service.
9. Any counterfeit or forged identification card.
10. Any combustible material.
11. Any drug, other than a controlled substance, in quantities other than those authorized by a physician.
12. Any unauthorized mask, wig, disguise, or other means of altering normal physical appearance which could hinder ready identification.
13. Any drug paraphernalia: all equipment, products, and materials of any kind which are used, intended for use, or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance in violation of the laws of this state.
14. Any material which is "obscene."
15. Any chain, rope or ladder.
16. Any cigarettes or tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, vaping products or e-cigarettes or vaping liquid. (Employees refer to AR 100-04, Tobacco Use in Buildings and Vehicles for non-tobacco nicotine).
17. Any portable electronic communication device including but not limited to cell phones, public, private or family style radios, pagers, personal digital assistants, any other device capable of transmitting or intercepting cellular or radio signals, and portable computers; except those devices authorized by the executive director of the DOC.
18. Any article or thing that poses or may pose a threat to the security of the DOC facility/office as determined by the administrative head of the facility/office. This will include but not be limited to: matches, cigarette lighters, any substances used for brewing or making intoxicating beverages, any counterfeit or forged medium of exchange, or paraphernalia used to produce this medium, any written message, item or object that is to be sent or brought to another offender, batteries, cameras, film, flashbulbs, flashlights, chewing gum, pets, plant life, or any article or substance that is not specifically allowed by facility/office procedures.

B. Penalties: Anyone violating section a may be barred from the facility and may be subject to criminal prosecution

C. Declaration of Consent and Waiver

Any person entering a DOC facility without a permanent, volunteer contract/temp/intern or construction ID card will have a background check completed, prior to entry into a facility or onto DOC owned property. If possible, a completed AR form 300- 27C, Consent to Search Authorization and Registration, must be received ten days in advance of the anticipated date of access.

As a condition of entering the property of Colorado Department of Corrections, I hereby consent to any search of my person and/or any of my personal property, or of the person of any minor children accompanying me or of any vehicle that I may bring on the grounds of this facility/office. I acknowledge that I have the opportunity to leave the facility/office immediately ifl choose not to give this consent to search.

I hereby declare that I have read and understand, and will abide by the provisions of the above regulation, AR 300-27. understand that violation of any of the above provisions, or the entering of any false information on this form may result in my being barred from or denied access to the Colorado Department of Corrections state penitentiary or any of its facilities.

The Colorado Department of Corrections has a zero-tolerance for acts of sexual abuse or sexual harassment on staff or offenders. If you witness an act of suspected sexual abuse or sexual harassment, immediately report it to any employee.

 

Guest Vehicle Data

If you were a passenger, you must identify the car in which you arrived.