Colorado's Prison Crisis
Colorado's prisons and jails are facing a severe crisis due to understaffing and overcrowding, resulting in inmates being pushed into county jails.
A temporary emergency plan has been activated, but local leaders believe it is only a short-term solution.
A Personal Perspective
David Carrillo, a 51-year-old former inmate, teaches 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, who served nearly three decades in Colorado prisons for his involvement in a 1993 murder, is now teaching at Adams State University and Red Rocks Community College.
However, the overcrowding in state prisons has made it challenging for him to continue his classes.
Author's summary: Colorado's prisons face overcrowding and understaffing.