Colorado's Prison Crisis
Colorado's prisons and jails are facing severe overcrowding, with the state's emergency plan currently in effect. However, local leaders consider this only a temporary solution.
David Carrillo, a 51-year-old who spent nearly three decades in Colorado prisons for his involvement in a 1993 murder, is now teaching economics to incarcerated students. He notes that education introduces them to a new world, saying:
They are introduced to a world beyond what they've known for a very, very long – not just for a very long time, probably ever.
Carrillo, one of the first incarcerated professors to teach other inmates, currently teaches at Adams State University and Red Rocks Community College. Nevertheless, the overcrowding issue has made it challenging to continue classes.
Author's summary: Colorado prisons face understaffing and overcrowding issues.