Pueblo Booking Information
Pueblo recent bookings get processed through the Pueblo County jail system. When police arrest someone in Pueblo, they take that person to the county detention facility for booking. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office operates the jail and maintains records of all arrests and inmates. You can request booking information and jail records through the sheriff's records division. Over 110,000 people live in Pueblo making it one of the larger cities in southern Colorado. The county jail processes Pueblo arrests along with bookings from other parts of Pueblo County throughout the week. Anyone can request public booking records by following the county's records request procedures.
Pueblo County Jail System
Pueblo is in Pueblo County and all city arrests go through the county jail. Pueblo Police Department makes arrests within city limits but the sheriff's office handles booking and custody. This is how it works across Colorado. Cities have police and counties run jails.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office operates the detention facility that serves the city of Pueblo. The sheriff maintains all booking records and jail rosters. Pueblo is the largest city in the county and makes up most of the county's population. This means most bookings in Pueblo County come from arrests in the city of Pueblo.
To get information about Pueblo bookings, you need to contact the sheriff's records division or submit a formal records request. The records office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sheriff handles all requests for booking records, arrest reports, and other criminal justice records per Colorado law.
How to Request Booking Records
Pueblo County requires you to submit a formal records request to get booking information. Visit the Pueblo County Sheriff records page to find the records request form. You fill out the form describing what records you need. Include details like the person's name, approximate date of arrest, and what information you want.
All records requests require a signed pecuniary gain statement per C.R.S. 24-72-305.5. This statement says you will not use the records for commercial purposes. The sheriff provides this form with the records request paperwork. You must sign it before the county will release booking records or mug shots.
The sheriff's office reviews each request to determine what records can be released. Active or incomplete reports may not be available. Reports referred to the District Attorney are not released until the case is resolved. The county follows C.R.S. 24-72-305 when deciding what records to release. This law allows agencies to withhold certain records if releasing them would be contrary to public interest.
Pueblo County charges fees for records requests. A background check costs $10. A records request costs $5 which covers the search and first 10 pages. Additional pages cost 25 cents each. If the search and retrieval take more than one hour, the county charges $30 per hour for staff time. For extensive requests, the sheriff may require a deposit before starting the work.
Note: The county tries to respond to records requests within the time required by the Colorado Open Records Act, typically within a few days for simple requests.
Pueblo Court Cases
People arrested in Pueblo go to court in Pueblo County. The county courthouse handles criminal cases for people arrested in the city. You can search court dockets through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The docket search shows case information and upcoming court dates for anyone with charges in Pueblo County.
After an arrest, the person sees a judge within 48 hours for a first appearance. This is when bond gets set and formal charges get read. The court docket shows the next scheduled court date. You can search by name or case number to find this information. Court records are public so anyone can access them online.
Pueblo County has a public defender office for people who cannot afford a lawyer. The court appoints a public defender at the first appearance if you qualify based on income. You can also hire a private criminal defense attorney. The Colorado Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service if you need help finding an attorney in Pueblo.
Pueblo Warrants
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Civil Division handles warrants and extraditions. Warrants get processed through CCIC and NCIC which are criminal database systems. If you want to check for warrants, contact the sheriff's office. Warrant information may be available through the records division but you should verify any warrant status directly with the sheriff before taking action.
Finding a warrant in a database does not always mean it is still active. Warrants can be recalled or resolved without the database being updated immediately. Always contact the sheriff's office to confirm current warrant status before relying on any information you find.
Public Records Law in Colorado
Colorado requires county jails to keep a daily log of all inmates per C.R.S. 17-26-118. This log must include each person's name, date of birth, booking date, charges, and bond. The law says these logs are public records available at all reasonable times. Pueblo County meets this requirement by accepting records requests for booking information.
The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act in C.R.S. 24-72-301 governs how agencies release arrest and booking records. Records of official actions like arrests must be made public. However, agencies can withhold certain records if releasing them would harm an ongoing investigation or be contrary to public interest per C.R.S. 24-72-305. Pueblo County applies these rules when reviewing records requests.
Anyone requesting booking photos must sign a pecuniary gain statement per C.R.S. 24-72-305.5. This statement says you will not use the photos for profit or commercial purposes. The rule prevents websites from charging people to remove their mug shots. Pueblo County requires this signed statement before releasing booking photographs.
The Colorado Open Records Act requires agencies to respond to records requests within three working days. The agency must either provide the records or tell you when they will be available. Some requests take longer depending on how many records are involved and whether any information needs to be redacted for privacy or legal reasons.
Pueblo Police Reports
Pueblo Police Department maintains its own records for police reports and incident records. If you need a police report from a Pueblo arrest, contact the police department directly. Police reports are different from jail booking records maintained by the sheriff. The police report describes what happened during an arrest or incident. The booking record shows custody status and charges filed at the jail.
Contact Pueblo Police Department for information on how to request police reports. There may be separate procedures and fees for police records versus sheriff's office records. Check the city website or call the police department for current information on requesting Pueblo police reports.
Other Resources for Pueblo Arrests
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation keeps statewide criminal history records. You can request a background check through CBI if you need someone's full arrest history from anywhere in Colorado. These background checks cost $6 per search result. The CBI database includes fingerprint-based arrest records from all Colorado law enforcement agencies including Pueblo Police.
For inmates in state prison, check the Colorado Department of Corrections website. CDOC operates state prisons which are separate from county jails. The CDOC website has an inmate locator for people serving sentences in state facilities. If someone is not in Pueblo County jail, they might be in state custody at a CDOC prison.
Colorado uses the VINE system for custody status notifications. You can register with VINE to receive alerts when an inmate is released from jail. This free service sends notifications by phone, email, or text when an inmate's status changes. VINE is available to crime victims and other interested parties who want to track custody status.
Bookings in Other Colorado Cities
Colorado Springs is about 40 miles north of Pueblo in El Paso County. Colorado Springs arrests go through a different jail system run by El Paso County Sheriff. Canon City is west of Pueblo in Fremont County. Each city books arrests into its own county jail.
Pueblo is the main city in Pueblo County. Smaller cities and unincorporated areas in the county also use the Pueblo County jail. All arrests in Pueblo County get processed at the same facility regardless of which agency makes the arrest. Contact the Pueblo County Sheriff to request booking records from anywhere in the county.