3 Colorado prison wardens placed on leave on the same day
The Colorado Department of Corrections Places Top Prison Leaders on Administrative Leave
The Colorado Department of Corrections took action earlier this month by placing the top leaders of three state prisons on administrative leave on the same day. Agency officials confirmed this decision on Monday.
Warden Jeff Long at the Sterling Correctional Facility, his brother, Warden Ryan Long at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center, and Warden Shane Stucker at the Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City were all placed on paid administrative leave on March 5, according to department spokeswoman Alondra Gonzalez.
Gonzalez did not disclose the reasons behind the decision to place the wardens on leave, whether there is a comprehensive investigation linking them, or if any criminal investigations are ongoing. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation confirmed that there are no current criminal investigations involving the wardens.
Another Department of Corrections employee, Joshua Dorcey, was also put on paid leave on March 6. Gonzalez noted that Dorcey served as a program manager.
All four individuals placed on leave have dedicated over a decade to the Department of Corrections. Ryan Long was hired in 2000, Jeff Long and Dorcey in 2005, and Shane Stucker in 2008, Gonzalez stated.
Stucker chose not to comment when contacted by phone, while Ryan Long did not respond to requests for comment. Jeff Long and Dorcey could not be reached for comment.
Together, the three wardens manage prisons with a collective capacity of more than 4,600 prisoners.
“We cannot provide details on personnel matters, including the rationale for administrative leave or any potential investigations,” Gonzalez explained.
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