A public university in southern Colorado has taken an innovative approach to address staff shortages in prison education programs. Adams State University in Alamosa has become one of the first institutions in the country to hire incarcerated individuals with graduate degrees to teach its prison bachelor's degree program. The hope is both incarcerated students and the professors themselves, who share similar life experiences, will benefit.

The program provides incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to earn a significantly higher income to cover their basic needs upon release. Typically, incarcerated individuals earn just 80 cents a day. By working as adjunct professors, they can make a substantial income while imparting their knowledge and skills to their fellow inmates.

David Carrillo, 49, has recently become the first incarcerated Coloradan to teach a college-level class to other inmates at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.

Carrillo, who earned his MBA from Adams State in 2021, has been teaching a two-hour Intro to Macroeconomics class, for which he receives a salary of $3,600. The experience has been rewarding for Carrillo, who sees it as an opportunity to inspire and empower his students to realize their potential.

Carrillo has spent nearly 30 years in prison for his involvement in a 1993 murder, he was granted clemency by Governor Jared Polis in December of last year. Carrillo's decision to pursue a bachelor's degree and his willingness to work as a professor played a significant role in the governor's decision. Governor Polis expressed his support for Carrillo's dedication to education, highlighting the transformative power of higher learning.

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Adams State University says it’s prison education program is expanding, with plans to hire two more incarcerated instructors as adjunct professors by the end of the year. This expansion reflects the positive impact of the program and the university's commitment to providing educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals.

Last year, Colorado lawmakers passed a bill that reduces prison sentences for individuals with nonviolent felony offenses if they earn higher education degrees or certificates while serving their time.