Colorado Correctional Industries (CCI) is a division of the Colorado Department of Corrections, created by the Colorado Legislature in 1976, with the purpose of creating profitable industries inside prison facilities to provide work opportunities for inmates while they are incarcerated.  CCI would be self-sustaining from the revenue generated by sales of prison manufactured goods and services.  CCI's incarcerated workers would learn critical job skills and work ethic. In theory and practice, this resulted in less cost to the general fund by removing part of the prison population from general funded supervision for part of the day. Ultimately, the acquired job skills would result in lower recidivism because former inmates would use their skills to obtain and maintain employment upon release.

Several years of challenging market conditions and unprecedented financial difficulties led to the decision in 2022 to reorganize Correctional Industries. This resulted in the closing of our entire office furniture division, due primarily to the shift toward work-from-home by the majority of our customers.  Additionally, we closed other underperforming businesses that had no hope of recovering profitability, including all of our dairy operations, air filter manufacturing, CAD/Web Design, and our DMV call center.

CCI has emerged from the reorganization in a stronger financial position and we are excited to announce that after over three years of planning and construction, we have finally launched our coffee roasting operation at Denver Women's Correctional Facility.  We are roasting specialty coffee beans, initially for sale through the DOC canteen, and we plan to offer it to the general public very soon.  This program currently employs 3 incarcerated women who are learning every aspect of the roasting side of the coffee business and have the opportunity to earn industry certifications.  Women are underrepresented in coffee roasting, and all three of our team are excited to continue in the business after they are released from prison.

As CCI continues to recover from the recent challenges, we are always seeking new opportunities to create meaningful employment for incarcerated adults in Colorado.  If you would like to support our mission, please visit our online store at www.coloradoci.com and purchase our Colorado-made products, or adopt a dog from our Prison Trained K9 Companion Program.