Toxic Chat in Colorado Prisons | Denver News

Two Colorado prison wardens and a former major were exposed for years of racist and homophobic messages in a group chat, sparking a major scandal that’s now unraveling. The toxic chat, filled with slurs, LGBTQ jokes, and inmate abuse videos, was uncovered during an unrelated investigation. Though the Department of Corrections stayed silent for 15 months, a judge’s decision letter revealed the extent of the misconduct. Dorcey, the former major, called the texts “shameful” but tried to downplay his role, even citing a Juneteenth message as proof of his decency. The fallout? Dorcey was demoted but later reinstated; another staffer was fired; Jeff Long remains on paid leave while earning over $134K, and his brother Ryan retired after a year on leave. This scandal underscores how unchecked power and silence can corrode public trust — and how quickly a private chat can become a public reckoning. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a9e5b6d4a610eb9f