When people think about incarceration, punishment is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Someone commits a crime, receives a sentence, and serves their time. However, we tend to overlook what happens when that sentence ends. Most incarcerated individuals will eventually return to society. When they do, we expect them to find jobs, pay bills, follow the law, and move forward with their lives. These are reasonable expectations, but how can we expect people to do them if we haven't given them the tools to succeed?

I am asking the Colorado General Assembly and the Colorado Department of Corrections to strengthen rehabilitation policies by requiring individualized educational, vocational, behavioral, or life-skills programming for incarcerated individuals preparing for release. Rather than expecting everyone to complete the same programs, I believe rehabilitation should focus on what each person actually needs.

One of the biggest reasons I believe this change is necessary is the research surrounding recidivism. In Does Providing Inmates With Education Improve Postrelease Outcomes? A Meta-Analysis of Correctional Education Programs in the United States, Robert Bozick, Jennifer Steele, Lois Davis, and Susan Turner examined decades of correctional education research. They found that participants in correctional education were 28% less likely to recidivate than nonparticipants when examining the strongest research designs (Bozick et al., 2018). This matters because when someone returns to prison, it affects more than just that individual. Families, victims, communities, and correctional systems are affected, too.

Another important part of rehabilitation is employment. James Cowan, Dan Goldhaber, and Suvekshya Gautam examined this in Course Corrections? The Labor Market Returns to Correctional Education Credentials. Their research found that completing a GED increased quarterly earnings after release by approximately $450, while vocational certificates increased earnings by approximately $250 (Cowan et al., 2026). While these amounts might not seem like much, having extra income can make a difference when someone is trying to find housing, pay bills, and support themselves after incarceration.

However, not everyone needs the same education or training. Grant Duwe and Valerie Clark examined this in The Effects of Prison-Based Educational Programming on Recidivism and Employment. They found that secondary education improved employment opportunities, while postsecondary education was associated with higher earnings and reduced recidivism (Duwe & Clark, 2014). Dror Walk, Noam Haviv, Badi Hasisi, and David Weisburd also examined the connection between education and employment in The Role of Employment as a Mediator in Correctional Education's Impact on Recidivism: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Multiple Programs. Their findings showed that employment helped explain why certain educational programs were associated with reduced recidivism (Walk et al., 2021).

Education also goes beyond earning a diploma or learning a trade. Kylie S. Reale, Hina Usman, and Nancy Rodriquez studied behavioral programming in An Examination of Prison-Based Programming and Prison Misconduct. They found reductions in certain types of misconduct, including staff assaults and drug-related violations, following participation in cognitive-behavioral programming (Reale et al., 2025).

This is exactly why I believe rehabilitation needs to be individualized. Someone who never finished high school might benefit from earning a GED, while someone with a degree might need help with decision-making, managing emotions, or building practical life skills.

Colorado already offers correctional education and rehabilitation programs, but I believe we should expand these opportunities and make them more accessible. I am asking Colorado lawmakers and correctional officials to require individualized assessments and rehabilitation plans based on each person's educational background, employment experience, and behavioral needs. These plans should connect individuals with appropriate programs, while the state provides sufficient funding and evaluates whether the programs are actually helping people after release.

I also want to be clear that I am not suggesting someone should spend additional time in prison because they fail a class or cannot complete a program. Rehabilitation should prepare people for release, not give them another reason to punish them.

To me, supporting rehabilitation does not mean excusing criminal behavior or taking away accountability. It means recognizing that people can be held responsible for their actions while still being given opportunities to improve their futures.

If we expect people to leave prison and become responsible, productive members of society, shouldn't we also help prepare them to do exactly that?

By signing and sharing this petition, you are asking Colorado's leaders to make individualized rehabilitation a meaningful and accessible part of preparing incarcerated individuals for life after prison.

References

Bozick, R., Steele, J., Davis, L., & Turner, S. (2018). Does providing inmates with education improve postrelease outcomes? A meta-analysis of correctional education programs in the United States. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 14(3), 389–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-018-9334-6

Cowan, J., Goldhaber, D., & Gautam, S. (2026). Course corrections? The Labor Market returns to Correctional Education credentials. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737261418699

Duwe, G., & Clark, V. (2014). The effects of prison-based educational programming on recidivism and employment. The Prison Journal, 94(4), 454–478. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885514548009

Reale, K. S., Usman, H., & Rodriquez, N. (2024). An examination of prison-based programming and prison misconduct. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 52(3), 429–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241302474

Walk, D., Haviv, N., Hasisi, B., & Weisburd, D. (2021). The role of employment as a mediator in Correctional Education’s impact on recidivism: A quasi-experimental study of multiple programs. Journal of Criminal Justice, 74, 101815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2021.101815