Court document reveals why several Colorado prison leaders placed on leave more than year ago

A Colorado administrative law judge has upheld the demotion of a former Colorado Department of Corrections manager who admitted participating in years of inappropriate text message exchanges with other prison leaders, but ruled the department went too far by transferring him more than 120 miles from his home.

The decision offers the clearest public look yet at the internal investigation that led to multiple high-ranking Colorado Department of Corrections employees being placed on administrative leave in early 2025.

According to the judge's findings, the investigation began after Office of Inspector General investigators examining a state-issued cellphone assigned to former Sterling Correctional Facility Warden Ryan Long discovered hundreds of inappropriate text messages exchanged among several current and former DOC employees. The texts included racist, homophobic, transphobic and other derogatory language, offensive memes, sexually explicit content and disparaging comments about coworkers and incarcerated people.

The decision identifies several senior DOC officials who participated in or were connected to the group text conversations, including wardens Ryan Long, Jeff Long and Shane Stucker, corrections officer Mike Sewell and former corrections officer Josh Alexander. Investigators also found messages involving Dorcey on both state-issued and personal devices.

During his interview with investigators, Dorcey described the messages as "shameful" and acknowledged he knew sending or receiving those messages on state-issued devices violated department policy and could damage the department's reputation if released through the Colorado Open Records Act.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Corrections sent the following statement:

"We strongly denounce any behavior that violates the dignity and respect every individual deserves. The department maintains an absolute zero-tolerance policy for any actions that compromise our core values, our strict ethical standards, or the public trust.  The department remains committed to complying with applicable administrative policies and processes to ensure any allegations of actions that deviate from these expectations are investigated and addressed appropriately.  

The matters you are referencing are the subject of an ongoing, active internal personnel investigation. Because this is a personnel matter, the Colorado Department of Corrections cannot comment on the specific allegations, status, or actions regarding individual employees at this time.

Regarding the current status of the individuals listed:

• Ryan Long: Previously held the rank of Warden. He is no longer with the agency; he separated from the agency via retirement. 
• Jeff Long: Holds the rank of Warden. He remains on administrative leave pending resolution of an ongoing investigation.
• Shane Stucker: Remains employed with the department and holds the rank of Warden. 
• Mike Sewell: Previously held the rank of Corrections Officer (CO). His employment with the Department was terminated. 
• Josh Dorcey: Remains employed by the Department. He previously held the rank of Major and currently holds the rank of Captain."