People incarcerated in Colorado can now reduce their prison sentence by earning a college degree

Bikram Mishra earned three business degrees from Adams State University during his 12 years of incarceration. He became known as the “educator behind bars.” After his release from prison, Adams State administrators asked Mishra to continue teaching inmates via remote learning. More recently, Mishra joined several other formerly incarcerated individuals to testify in support of a bill passed during the 2023 state legislative session that seeks to make college degrees more accessible—and enticing—for incarcerated students in Colorado.