Search Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center Inmates

Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center Overview

Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center, often called DRDC, is operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The official facility page lists the address as 10900 Smith Road, Denver, CO 80239, the mailing address as PO Box 392004, Denver, CO 80239, and the switchboard as 303-371-4804. The official page inspected for the research identified Ryan Long as warden. DRDC was built in 1991 and is part of the Denver Complex.

CDOC says all CDOC inmates begin their correctional experience at DRDC for assessment and classification before placement at a permanent facility. That means DRDC is not a local pretrial jail. It receives people after state-prison sentencing and handles classification, medical, special-needs, transition, and some permanent general-population functions. A Denver County jail record may stop showing a person after transfer to CDOC because the correct public search changes from Denver Sheriff to CDOC.

DRDC Population and Capacity

The research did not capture a single current DRDC population number from the CDOC monthly capacity report table, but the official DRDC facility page gives several facility-specific unit facts. It lists a 62-bed transition unit, a 36-bed infirmary, a 12-bed Special Medical Needs Unit, and about 96 permanently assigned inmates in general population housing. Some people also receive dialysis care in DRDC's auxiliary Dialysis Unit. Current population and capacity should be checked through CDOC statistics and monthly population reports.

The CDOC statistics screenshot below is matched to this facility because DRDC population and capacity figures are published through state prison reporting, not the Denver Sheriff jail dashboard.

Use the monthly CDOC reports for current figures and the facility page for stable unit descriptions.

DRDC Inmate Lookup

Use CDOC Offender Search for DRDC. The Denver Sheriff roster is for local jail custody and will not reliably show a sentenced state prisoner assigned to DRDC. CDOC search fields include DOCNO, last name, first name, gender, and a CAPTCHA. Public results can identify a prison custody context and facility assignment, while Denver jail records focus on booking status and local facility assignment.

1. Open CDOC Offender Search.
2. Search by DOCNO if known, or by last and first name.
3. Use gender only as a narrowing field when the name is common.
4. Complete the CAPTCHA and review the facility assignment.
5. If the person is not in CDOC, return to Denver Sheriff, BOP, ICE, or another county search as appropriate.

DRDC Address and Contact

Facility contact should be used for prison-specific questions, while custody confirmation should start with CDOC Offender Search. Local Denver Sheriff numbers are not the correct route for a sentenced prisoner housed at DRDC. For Denver County court or booking history before the state transfer, the jail and court records remain separate records held by Denver Sheriff or court custodians.

Visiting DRDC Inmates

DRDC visitation follows CDOC rules, not Denver Sheriff jail rules. In-person visiting is listed Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with visitor processing from 8:15 to 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The research also notes a CDOC notice that Friday visits begin in September 2025 for DU offenders. Video visiting uses Securus for approved visitors only, is available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and has kiosk blackout periods.

DRDC Mail and Money

CDOC facility pages link to general contact-inmate, canteen, and sending-money resources, but the Denver research did not capture a facility-specific fee table for DRDC deposits. Do not copy unofficial vendor fees into a DRDC page. The accurate statement is that DRDC is governed by CDOC communication, canteen, visiting, and money rules. Confirm the current vendor, mailing format, and fee rules through CDOC before sending funds or mail.

DRDC Intake and Programs

DRDC's core role is reception, assessment, and classification. It also has medical and special-needs functions that make it different from a standard prison housing page. The official source lists transition, infirmary, Special Medical Needs Unit, dialysis, and permanently assigned general-population inmates. That mix is why a person may be at DRDC for classification before moving elsewhere, or may remain there for medical or operational reasons.

Denver County readers often confuse DRDC with Denver County Jail because both are in the Smith Road area. The difference is legal and practical. Denver County Jail is a local jail run by the Denver Sheriff Department. DRDC is a state prison run by CDOC. A local booking may show a booking number, facility abbreviation, active or inactive status, and Denver jail custody fields. A DRDC result should be read as a state prison assignment or intake status after sentencing or transfer.

DRDC also matters for court-record follow-up. A person can have Denver court records, Denver Sheriff booking records, and a CDOC prison record from the same criminal case, but no single public search shows all of that. The roster answers where the person was held locally. The court record answers what charges were filed and how they were resolved. CDOC answers where the person is in the state prison system after sentence or designation.

The nearby CDOC Denver Complex can also cause family members to call the wrong office. Denver County Jail, DRDC, and Denver Women's Correctional Facility are all in the same broad east Denver custody corridor, but each uses a different operator and lookup system. Before requesting records, write down the exact facility name from the public result. That one detail can determine whether the next step is Denver Sheriff CLU, Denver County Court, CDOC, BOP, or ICE.

Note: Confirm CDOC facility assignment before travel because DRDC is a state prison and not part of the Denver Sheriff roster.