“Poverty and recidivism are inextricably linked...formerly incarcerated individuals need access to resources like reentry assistance and workforce training to earn a living wage and stop the poverty to prison pipeline.”
-Colorado Senate President James Coleman
Gate Money in Colorado: Confusion, Denial and Lack of Transparency
Colorado’s gate money policy is intended to provide nominal support to people leaving incarceration. Yet residents observe inconsistent access and implementation.
In 2025, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) launched a reentry survey to:
Document real experiences with gate money at release
Identify implementation gaps within CDOC
Center lived experience to inform policy and budget advocacy
We received more than 120+ responses statewide from people released from incarceration within the Colorado Department of Corrections.
What we learned:
Only 1 in 3 respondents reported receiving gate money at release.
People cited several process-related gaps:
Staff forgetting to process funds
Staff claims of releasee’s ineligibilty
Missing documentation
Releases on weekends or holidays with no processing
Average amount received: $33. Far below the commonly understood $100 allowance.
Why this matters:
Gate money is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact reentry supports available.
When inconsistently applied—or withheld—it deepens instability at the most critical moment of reentry.
The survey was distributed in partnership with other community-based organizations across Colorado between March 1st - September 30th, 2025. For more information, contact Simone Price at sprice@ceoworks.org
Social Media
“The support was a tremendous blessing, it helped me to buy food and necessities,”
“More than 5,000 Coloradans will return from prison this year. Their ability to successfully return will heavily depend on gaining stability in the critical first weeks following release.”
