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Rule 106.5.Correctional Facility Quasi-Judicial Hearing Review

Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026

In one sentenceRule 106.5 tailors the 106(a)(4) review process for inmates challenging a Colorado Department of Corrections disciplinary or quasi-judicial hearing, fixing who can be sued, where to file, how service works, and the timeline for producing the facility's hearing record and briefs.

Full Text of Rule 106.5

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k)

(a) Scope. This rule applies to every action brought by an inmate to review a decision resulting from a quasi-judicial hearing of any facility of the Colorado Department of Corrections (“CDOC”) or any private facility in Colorado involving a CDOC inmate for events that occurred at the facility. To the extent this rule does not cover procedures in such cases, the parties shall follow C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4). All other provisions of C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4) shall apply except where modified by this Rule 106.5. The provisions of C.R.C.P. 106(b) and C.R.C.P. 5 shall govern all cases brought under this Rule 106.5.
(b) Designation of Defendant. Only the Executive Director of the CDOC and the Warden of the facility shall be named as Defendants and shall be listed as such. The District Court shall dismiss any other Defendant.
(c) Venue. All actions under this rule shall be filed in the district court in the county in which the quasi-judicial agency action occurred, even if the inmate is no longer assigned to that facility at the time the complaint is filed.
(d) Service of Process.
(1) If the inmate does not qualify for in forma pauperis status, the rules relating to service of process set forth in C.R.C.P. 4(e)(10) shall apply, but only the Warden, the Executive Director of the Department of Corrections, and the Attorney General shall be served.
(2) If the inmate files a motion to proceed in forma pauperis status and that motion is granted, service of process shall be accomplished in the following manner: The clerk of the District Court shall scan the complaint and serve it by electronic means on the Attorney General, the Executive Director of the Department of Corrections, and the Warden of the Facility (or the designee of each of these officials), along with a notice indicating the fact of the inmate's filing and the date received by the Court. Each person notified shall send a confirmation by electronic means indicating that the specified official has received the electronic notice and the scanned copy of the complaint.
(e) Response of Defendant. Within 21 days after the date on which the Attorney General sends acknowledgment that it has received the notice and complaint from the Clerk of the District Court, the Defendants shall file either (1) an answer to the complaint and a certified copy of the record as explained below, or (2) a motion in response to the complaint.
(f) Notice to Submit Record. The facility shall file the certified record and affidavit of certification directly to the Court no later than the deadline to file an answer or motion as indicated above. This obligation to submit the record shall not apply if the Attorney General notifies the Warden within 14 days of the electronic service that a motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction has been filed, in which event the filing of the record shall be suspended pending disposition of the motion.
(g) Contents of the Record. The certified record submitted by the Warden to the District Court shall contain all material related to the proceeding at the facility to permit the Court to address the issues raised in the complaint. The record shall include the Notice of Charges, the Disposition of Charges, the Offender Appeal Form, all exhibits offered at the hearing, and the current applicable version of the Code of Penal Discipline. If any part of the proceeding was recorded, a copy of the recording shall be provided.
(h) Cost of the Record. The cost of preparation of the record shall initially be paid by the Warden but, upon the filing of the certified record with the Court, the Warden shall immediately deduct the cost of preparation of the record, including the recording, from the inmate's account. If there are insufficient funds in that account, the Warden shall apply a charge to that account. In no event shall the filing of the record be delayed because the inmate has no assets and no means by which to pay the cost of certification of the record.
(i) Briefs.
(1) If counsel for the Defendants files a motion to dismiss, the inmate shall have 14 days after service of the motion to file a brief in response, and the defense counsel shall have 14 days after service of the response to file a reply.
(2) If the defense counsel files an answer and the Warden files the certified record, the inmate shall have 42 days following notice of filing of the record in which to file a brief. In this event, the brief shall set forth the reasons why the inmate believes that the District Court should rule that the Warden has exceeded his or her jurisdiction or abused his or her discretion. The inmate must set forth in the brief specific references to the record that support the inmate's position. Defense counsel shall have 35 days after service of the brief to file a response and the inmate shall have 14 days after service of the response to file a reply.
(j) Time Periods. The parties shall follow the time periods set forth above unless the Court, on motion and for good cause shown, enters an order altering those time periods.
(k) Promulgation of Rule. A copy of this Rule 106.5 shall be made available in the law library of every facility operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections and every private prison in Colorado that houses CDOC inmates.

Amendment History

Adopted effective February 7, 2008. Amended effective January 1, 2012; April 17, 2020.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 106.5 adapts the certiorari-style review in Rule 106(a)(4) to a specific setting: an inmate challenging the outcome of a quasi-judicial hearing at a Colorado Department of Corrections facility, or a private facility holding CDOC inmates, over events that happened there. Where this rule is silent, the general 106(a)(4) procedure and Rule 106(b) timing rules fill the gap. Only the CDOC Executive Director and the facility's Warden can be named as defendants — the court dismisses anyone else named — and the case must be filed in the district court for the county where the hearing took place, even if the inmate has since been moved elsewhere.

How the case gets served depends on whether the inmate is proceeding in forma pauperis. If not, service follows the ordinary rule for serving government officials, reaching only the Warden, the Executive Director, and the Attorney General. If the inmate's in forma pauperis motion is granted, the clerk instead serves the complaint electronically on those same officials or their designees, who must confirm receipt.

Once the Attorney General acknowledges receipt, the defendants have 21 days to answer and produce a certified record of the hearing — including the notice of charges, the disposition, the inmate's appeal form, hearing exhibits, the facility's disciplinary code, and any recording — or to file a motion instead. The Warden initially pays for preparing that record but can recover the cost from the inmate's account, and the record cannot be held up just because the inmate has no money to pay for it. Briefing then follows set deadlines depending on whether the defendants answered or moved to dismiss, though the court can adjust any of these deadlines for good cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can an inmate name as a defendant under Rule 106.5?

Only the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections and the Warden of the facility involved. The district court will dismiss any other defendant the inmate names.

Where must the case be filed?

In the district court for the county where the quasi-judicial hearing took place, even if the inmate has since been transferred to a different facility.

What must the facility's certified record include?

The notice of charges, the disposition of charges, the inmate's appeal form, all exhibits offered at the hearing, the current Code of Penal Discipline, and a copy of any recording made of the proceeding.

Does an inmate have to pay for the hearing record?

The Warden pays to prepare the record up front and then deducts that cost from the inmate's account, or charges the account if funds are short. The rule specifies that filing the record cannot be delayed just because the inmate has no money to pay for it.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 106.5). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Colorado (C.R.S. § 13-2-108; Colo. Const. art. VI). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 10, 2026. · Official source
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