Two inmates are dead, and a third was injured after violence Saturday evening at the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colorado, prompting a systemwide pause on in-person prison visits. The Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) placed the facility on lockdown and temporarily suspended in-person visitation at all state prisons while state and local authorities investigate. DOC and facility staff are working to notify next of kin.
Statewide Visitation Paused While Investigators Dig In
According to CBS Colorado, the DOC announced the suspension of Sunday visits at 2:30 a.m., calling it a step taken "out of an abundance of caution" while investigators probe what the department described as "an isolated incident at one facility." Officials told families and friends not to travel to prisons while the suspension remains in place and said there are "no known threats to the surrounding communities."
Inside the Bent County Facility
The deadly incident occurred inside the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, a medium-security prison owned and operated by CoreCivic, according to the company. CoreCivic lists the prison’s address and contact information and notes that it has run the facility since the 1990s. The prison remains on lockdown while local law enforcement and DOC personnel continue to work the scene.
When Colorado Prisons Can Shut Down Visits
The Colorado DOC’s visitation guidance allows officials to terminate or suspend visits if there is a facility emergency or a substantiated security risk, including shifting to non-contact or video visits while staff secure safety, according to department rules. Colorado Department of Corrections policy outlines the sanctions and circumstances under which visits may be restricted. DOC officials said the pause on in-person visits is intended to support staff and people in custody and to maintain a secure environment while investigators do their work.
What Families Are Being Told
Families were urged to wait for official updates rather than travel to any facility while the suspension is in effect, CBS Colorado reported. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased inmates, citing pending next-of-kin notifications, and said no staff members were injured in the incident. Media and family inquiries are being directed to the Colorado DOC and the Bent County facility’s listed contacts while the investigation continues.
