Every inmate shall participate in the work
most suitable to the inmate's capacity and that promotes the inmate's successful rehabilitation,
reentry, and reintegration into the community. Inmates who work in the department are not
entitled to any right, benefit, or privilege applicable to employees of the state of Colorado.
Source: L. 77: Entire title R&RE, p. 921, § 10, effective August 1. L. 79: Entire section
amended, p. 694, § 48, effective July 1. L. 93: Entire section amended, p. 51, § 8, effective July
1. L. 2000: Entire section amended, p. 844, § 38, effective May 24. L. 2022: Entire section
amended, (SB 22-050), ch. 51, p. 240, § 3, effective March 30.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 27-20-117 as it existed prior to 1977.
Cross references: For correctional industries, see article 24 of this title 17.
Notes of Decisions
Claim of Orr v. Indus. Comm'n, 716 P.2d 1106 (Colo. 1986).
· cites it 19× “The Court of Appeals set aside the Commission’s order, ruling that Orr was not an employee within the definition of either of the two subsections of the Act in question and that, in any event, section 17-20-117, 8 C.R.S. (1985 Supp.), barred any recovery of benefits by Orr.”
Ramos v. Lamm, 485 F. Supp. 122 (D. Colo. 1980).
· cites it 2× “The Colorado statute at C.R.S. § 17-20-117 (1978), expressly states: “Every able-bodied offender shall be put to and kept at the work most suitable to his capacity and most advantageous to the people of this state.”
Griffin Jr. v. Gorman, No. 1:17-cv-03019 (D. Colo. Sept. 18, 2019).
· cites it 10× “Griffin filed his initial Prisoner Complaint (#1) asserting that certain laws and policies are unconstitutional and violate his First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights: specifically, the Prison Labor Law, Colo. Rev. Stat. § 17-20-117 ; the Prison Labor Policies,…”
Claim of Orr v. Indus. Comm'n, 691 P.2d 1145 (Colo. Ct. App. 1984).
· cites it 2× “However, § 17-20-117, C.R.S. (1983 Cum.Supp.), concerning prisoners who are used as laborers, states: “Inmates who work in the department of Corrections shall not be entitled to any right, benefit, or privilege applicable to employees of the state of Colorado.”
Fletcher v. Williams, No. 1:21-cv-02125 (D. Colo. Aug. 8, 2022).
“§ 17-20-117. Pursuant to the CDOC’s COPD,3 an inmate who fails to 3 The Court may consider these regulations because the CDOC’s disciplinary policy is referenced in the Verified Amended Complaint and central to Plaintiffs’ claims.”
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