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At 19 years old, David Carrillo was incarcerated with a life sentence, a reality shaped by solitary confinement, violence and gangs.

But eight years into his sentence, something shifted. Through college courses offered inside the facility, Carrillo began to find new purpose. He earned an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, then a bachelor’s in business and an MBA through Adams State University, based in Alamosa, Colorado. Adams State soon hired him to teach other incarcerated people.

“I became the first incarcerated college professor in the nation,” Carrillo said.

In January 2024, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis�� for his work, and he was released after more than 30 years in prison.

Today, Carrillo is a full-time staff member of the��Korey Wise Innocence Project (KWIP), housed at the��CU Law School, and serves as the lead facilitator for��, a first-of-its-kind program. Legislation Inside — started in 2021 by KWIP attorneys Jamie Ray and Jeanne Segil — gives incarcerated individuals the opportunity to advocate for causes important to them. Some of the causes are brought as bills to the state legislature.

Carrillo holds a weekly Zoom call with about 40 incarcerated people from 13 Colorado correctional facilities. Participants talk through potential bills, discuss criminal justice litigation and hear from attorneys. Last year, the group helped pass a bill to write the Legislation Inside program into law.

“We are going to help bring about a perspective that too often has been overlooked,” Carrillo said.

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Photo courtesy of David Carrillo