Where Custer Sheriff Releases Go
The Custer County Sheriff's Office page lists the local sheriff office at 702 Rosita Avenue in Westcliffe, with Sheriff Lloyd "Rich" Smith as sheriff. That office matters for released-inmate research because it can be the arresting agency, transport agency, historic jail agency, or record custodian for Custer-generated material. It is not, however, the place to find a current public Custer jail roster. The research record is clear that the former Custer County Jail closed on January 6, 2023, and Custer detainees are housed through Fremont County under an intergovernmental arrangement.
That split changes the meaning of "released from Custer County." A person may be released from Fremont County Detention Center after a Custer arrest, released on a Custer Combined Court bond, transferred to CDOC after a state sentence, moved to another county, or transferred to federal or immigration custody. The Custer sheriff may still have the local incident, arrest, transport, warrant, or former jail record. Fremont usually holds the current detention booking and release event for post-closure custody. The court file shows the legal reason for the release, such as bond posted, personal recognizance bond, dismissal, time served, probation, mittimus, or warrant status.
How to Confirm a Custer Release
Use this order when the person was arrested on a Custer County matter and may have been released. First, call Fremont County Intake/Booking at 719-276-5555 option 2 or use Colorado VINE, because Fremont is the practical detention facility for current Custer detainees. Second, search the Custer Combined Court docket or contact the clerk when the question is why the person left custody. Third, contact the Custer County Sheriff's Office when you need arresting-agency records, transport records, or historic jail files from before the closure. Fourth, use CDOC offender search only if the Custer court case resulted in a state prison sentence.
Short how-to
- Check whether the event was before or after January 6, 2023.
- For recent custody, use Fremont Intake/Booking or Colorado VINE.
- For the legal reason, use Custer Combined Court.
- For Custer arrest or historic jail records, submit a written Custer public-records request.
- If the release was actually a transfer, follow the receiving system, such as CDOC, BOP, ICE, or another county.
Custer Sheriff Records and Contact
The official county page lists the Custer County Sheriff's Office at 702 Rosita Avenue, P.O. Box 1489, Westcliffe, CO 81252. The phone number is 719-783-2270, fax is 719-783-9085, and non-emergency dispatch is 719-276-5555 ext. 8. The county page lists LSmith@custersheriff.com as the sheriff email. Administrative office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Custer County Sheriff's Office
702 Rosita Avenue, P.O. Box 1489
Westcliffe, CO 81252
Phone: 719-783-2270
Dispatch: 719-276-5555 ext. 8
Email: LSmith@custersheriff.com
For a Custer public-records request, the county form says requests must be in writing and should describe the records with enough specificity for the custodian to locate them. The form points to the Custer County Clerk & Recorder, 205 S. 6th Street or P.O. Box 150, Westcliffe, CO 81252, and custerclerk@custercountygov.com. For a released-inmate question, ask for the arrest record, jail or transport record if held by Custer, date range, release or transfer disposition, and any Custer-created booking material available under public-record rules.
Former Custer County Jail Context
The former county jail remains important for historic release records even though it no longer functions as the current local jail. Records from before January 6, 2023 may remain with Custer sheriff or county record channels. Records after that date are often split, because Custer may have created the arrest or local agency file while Fremont created the detention booking, custody, bond-processing, property, and release record.
Do not treat the lack of a Custer roster as proof that a person has no release record. It usually means the current county jail function moved out of Custer County. A released person may have dropped out of VINE because they left Fremont custody, but the court file can still show future hearings, probation, fines, a mittimus, or a warrant. A person sent to CDOC will stop being a county-jail release question and become a state offender-search and parole question.
Facility History: Jail Closure
Facility history is the main local detail for Custer County. Research sources report that commissioners adopted Resolution 22-30 before the closure and that reports cited the jail's condition and design, cost per inmate, and anticipated unfunded mandates. Fremont County was selected based on distance and services. This is why a Custer County released-inmates search cannot be handled like a typical county with one active sheriff roster, one jail lobby, and one recent-release feed.
The practical effect is simple but easy to miss: a Custer arrest can produce records in more than one office. The arresting-agency portion may be in Custer. The jail custody and release-processing portion may be in Fremont. The bond, sentence, probation, or dismissal is in the court. A correct release confirmation follows the person across those systems instead of stopping at the first missing roster.
What to Request From Each Office
| Office | Best release question |
|---|---|
| Custer County Sheriff's Office | Arrest, local agency case, transport, historic jail records, former jail booking material. |
| Fremont County Sheriff's Office | Current detention booking, custody status, release date and time, release type, bond processing, property release. |
| Custer Combined Court | Bond order, disposition, sentence, probation, mittimus, dismissal, warrant, sealing or expungement status. |
| CDOC, BOP, or ICE | Receiving-system custody after a transfer, state prison release, federal release, or immigration detention. |