Colorado Governor Jared Polis signs into law House Bill 23-1037, on April 12, 2023 at the State Capitol. Adams State University Alumnus and District 62 State Representative Matthew Martinez, Class of 2013, sponsored the legislation. The new law permits incarcerated students sentenced for nonviolent felonies to have earned time deducted from the their sentence for each accredited degree or other credential awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
Currently incarcerated students enrolled in an accredited program can gain:
- 18 months of earned time for a master’s degree and 2 years of earned time for a doctoral degree;
- One year of earned time for receiving an associate or baccalaureate degree; and
- 6 months of earned time for receiving a certificate or other credential that requires the completion of at least 30 credit hours.
Adams State will be a leading provider with its nationally recognized Prison Education Program.
