Community Corrections: Residential Programs

Community Corrections facilities, also called halfway houses, are not meant to be a confined setting for offenders. In fact, one of the primary goals of community corrections is to enable offenders to reintegrate and transition into the community.

Several measures are taken to ensure public safety in this process. Residents are only allowed to leave the facility for employment, treatment, or with staff-approved passes; and residents’ whereabouts are monitored.

Facility staff regularly search residents and the facility for contraband. They employ heightened security measures using the latest technologies. Less than two percent of residents in community corrections are terminated from the program for committing a new crime.

There is nothing that precludes a violent offender from being placed in community corrections, but as with all referrals, the case must be approved by the Community Corrections Board.

There are four residential facilities located throughout the City and County of Denver operated by public or private organizations. These facilities provide services to male and female offenders, including special populations such as the mentally ill and those with severe drug and alcohol addictions

No, out-of-state referrals are not accepted for Denver Community Corrections programs.

Denver does not contract with other counties for services.

However, due to the specialized drug and alcohol treatment offered by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center-Peer I and Haven Programs, Denver does allow other counties to refer individuals as needed. 

As with all proposed placements, they must be approved for placement by the Denver Community Corrections Board.

In Denver there are about 700 clients in residential beds, and roughly one-third are classified as diversion offenders. These are offenders sentenced directly by the Denver District Court to community corrections as an alternative to prison. These offenders typically are not eligible for probation sentences, and community corrections is seen as a viable alternative to a prison sentence.

In Colorado, the community corrections system functions as a partnership between state and local agencies in collaboration with community corrections service providers. The state of Colorado oversees community corrections standards and administers funding for local correctional programs. The Colorado Department of Public Safety allocates funds through the Division of Criminal Justice. Visit the State of Colorado's website to learn more.