Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility Overview
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility is operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections, usually shortened to CDOC. The prison is located near Ordway in Crowley County and is identified in the research file as a multi-custody state prison for sentenced adult men. That custody label matters. The facility is not the county jail, and its population is not made up of people recently booked by the Crowley County Sheriff's Office after a local arrest. It houses people who have moved into state prison custody after sentencing and assignment by CDOC.
For a person trying to find a prisoner, the practical result is simple: Arkansas Valley records live in the CDOC offender search. The county jail phone line, jail visitation page, and county roster alternatives are for local detention and pretrial custody, not for a sentenced state prisoner assigned to this prison. A person who was first arrested in Crowley County could later be moved to CDOC after conviction and sentencing, but once that transfer occurs the statewide prison system becomes the correct place to check status, facility assignment, and basic profile details.
The official CDOC facility page for Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility identifies the facility and is the source to confirm agency-level facility information before relying on older third-party directories.
The screenshot is useful because it ties the prison to CDOC rather than to the Crowley County Jail, which is the most important distinction for inmate lookup and visitation questions.
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility Capacity and Population
CDOC population reports give the clearest sourced numbers for this prison. The Jan. 31, 2026 CDOC monthly population and capacity report listed Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility with an average daily assigned population of 980, an operational capacity of 1,026, and a design capacity of 1,105. In plain terms, the January 2026 average daily population was below operational capacity, while the design capacity was higher than the active operating number.
A separate July 31, 2025 CDOC point-in-time report showed Arkansas Valley with a population of 1,013 and operational capacity of 1,014. The difference between that July point-in-time number and the January 2026 average daily population is a reminder to read CDOC tables by date and measurement type. Some reports use a single-day count, while the January 2026 figure cited in the research uses average daily assigned population.
The research also notes that construction and ADA shower work affected capacity reporting at Arkansas Valley. That detail matters when comparing reports across months because a temporary construction-related capacity adjustment can make the same facility appear closer to or farther from capacity even if the underlying prison role has not changed.
How to Look Up an Inmate at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
Use the Colorado DOC offender search for Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility. This statewide search covers sentenced prisoners in CDOC custody, including people assigned to Arkansas Valley and Crowley County Correctional Facility. It is not a county jail roster and it should not be used as the only place to look for someone who was just arrested and has not been sentenced to prison.
- Open the Colorado DOC offender search at the statewide CDOC lookup page.
- Search by DOC number when you have it, or use last name and first name for a name search.
- Review matching profiles carefully and confirm the facility field shows Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility.
- Use the profile details to confirm custody status, CDOC number, facility assignment, and any listed prison photo or status information.
If the person does not appear in CDOC search, consider the custody stage. A recent local arrest belongs with the Crowley County Jail process, not the state prison process. A federal or immigration matter may require BOP, U.S. Marshals, court, or ICE channels. VINELink may also help with custody notifications where agency data is available, but it should be treated as a notification tool rather than a full replacement for the prison locator.
The Colorado DOC offender search interface is the matching lookup image source for state prison custody in Crowley County.
This search screen fits Arkansas Valley because the facility holds sentenced CDOC prisoners, so the lookup begins with DOC number or name rather than a county booking number.
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility Address and Contact
For facility-level questions, use the CDOC facility contact information below. For statewide policy questions about visiting applications, mail rules, money deposits, and offender search records, use CDOC resources because those rules apply across state prison custody. Calling the Crowley County Jail will not produce the same record for a sentenced person assigned to Arkansas Valley.
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
12750 Highway 96 at Lane 13
Ordway, CO 81034
719-267-3520
State prison operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections
Visiting Someone at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
Prison visiting at Arkansas Valley follows CDOC statewide visiting rules. That means visitors should expect an approval process, identification requirements, scheduling steps, facility-specific changes, and dress and conduct rules. These are not the same rules used for Crowley County Jail video visitation. Before traveling to Ordway, confirm the visitor is approved, the visit is scheduled when required, and the prisoner is still assigned to Arkansas Valley.
The research did not provide a fixed day-by-day Arkansas Valley visiting schedule. Because prison schedules can change for staffing, lockdowns, construction, weather, or facility operations, the safest public guidance is to use CDOC's current visiting page and the prison's own instructions before making plans.
| Topic | What to Verify | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor approval | Application status and eligibility before scheduling | CDOC visiting resources |
| Visit schedule | Available days, times, cancellation notices, and facility alerts | CDOC and Arkansas Valley facility instructions |
| Identification | Accepted photo ID and visitor entry rules | CDOC visiting resources |
| Restrictions | Dress code, property limits, conduct rules, and security screening | CDOC visiting resources |
Mail, Phone, and Money at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
Mail and money for Arkansas Valley are handled under CDOC prison rules. Use the statewide CDOC mail page for addressing format, content limits, rejected-mail rules, and restrictions on what can be sent. Use the CDOC money and banking page for deposits and account rules. If a family member uses county jail instructions instead, the item or deposit may be routed incorrectly because state prison custody is a different system.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail Address | Use CDOC mail instructions and include the prisoner's legal name and DOC number as required by CDOC. |
| Phone / Video | Use CDOC statewide communication rules and any current Arkansas Valley facility instructions. |
| Money Deposit | Use CDOC money and banking rules; no separate county jail commissary process applies to this state prison. |
Prison Intake and Facility Assignment at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
Arkansas Valley does not function as a street-arrest booking center for Crowley County. A person generally enters CDOC custody after a criminal case results in a prison sentence. CDOC then handles reception, classification, placement, transfer, and status records. The facility assignment in the offender search may change if CDOC transfers the prisoner to another institution, so confirm the current facility field before sending mail or arranging a visit.
This distinction helps resolve a common search problem. If the person was arrested recently in Ordway or elsewhere in Crowley County, start with local jail channels and court dockets. If the person has already been sentenced to CDOC, start with the DOC offender search. If a name appears in a court record but not in CDOC, the person may be in a different custody stage, released, held locally, or recorded under a different spelling.
About Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
Arkansas Valley is one of two large state prison facilities physically located in Crowley County. Together with Crowley County Correctional Facility, it explains why correctional population figures for this small county can look much larger than the local jail count. The county jail usually concerns local arrests, pretrial cases, and short local custody. Arkansas Valley's numbers come from CDOC prison reporting and reflect sentenced adult men in state custody.
Recent context in the research includes CDOC capacity reporting tied to construction and ADA shower work, a Sept. 2025 report that a federal judge advanced a PREA-related claim involving an Arkansas Valley guard allegedly exposing a prisoner as a "snitch," and the Dec. 8, 2025 Department of Justice announcement of a statewide investigation into conditions in Colorado prisons and youth facilities. Those items are context, not a substitute for a current custody lookup or facility notice.
Note: Confirm custody, visiting approval, and facility status with CDOC before traveling or sending money.