Prisons of Cañon City

Ca�on City sits in a geological bowl surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Historically, it has been known as the prison capital of the world, with eight� soon to be nine�state prisons in the area and four federal facilities located 11 miles away in Florence. The first prison in Ca�on City was built in 1868, before Colorado became a state, and was opened in 1871. Originally known as the Colorado Territorial Penitentiary, it is currently called the Colorado Te