On February 12th, 2026, a former inmate named David Carrillo came to Salida High School to give a presentation. Carrillo shared to the school community about his life story and his life in prison, while also explaining what it is truly like inside of the U.S. prison system. Collaborating with Colorado Mountain College, Carrillo’s presentation not only him shared his point of view, but he also shared the reality of incarceration beyond common assumptions.
Carrillo’s talk at Salida High School focused on his road to ending up in prison, the struggles he experienced while incarcerated and the switches he eventually made to change his life. While many students learn about basic justice systems in history class, not so many have gotten to hear what it really feels like from a first person perspective.
Sophomore Eliot Fisher, who attended both of Carrillo’s presentations, shared he walked away with a deeper understanding of what prison life is really like. “He came to present about his life story, as a basis,” Fisher explained, “and he also described what it was like inside the prison system. And what he had to do in order to get free.”
Carrillo’s transparency made a point to many in the audience, especially when he talked about the difficulties and struggles of being behind bars. “I never really understood what it’s like inside the prison system,” Fisher said. “But it seems very difficult.”
Carrillo’s story also included rough experiences, acting as a reality check for students and the decisions they make or might make in the future. He tackled the topic of the pressures of surviving in prison, including interactions with prison gangs. Carrillo used this talk to emphasize the complexity and danger of prison culture, something the audience barely hears about.
More importantly, Carrillo stressed that people outside of prison often misunderstand those who are in it. “A lot of people outside, like the free world, have a prejudice against people that are in prison,” Fisher explained after watching Carrillo’s session. Carrillo shared the people’s misunderstanding makes the whole process of reconstructing your life post incarceration even tougher.
Carrillo’s online announcement on Colorado Mountain College’s website highlighted that Carrillo spoke openly about the struggles he faced and the work it took him to overcome them. His message was not one of blame and of self pity, but of accountability and growth. CMC described his presentation as a way to increase understanding and “break down stereotypes related to incarceration.”
Sophomore Brooke Delarue said the presentation’s impact meant more beyond the shocking details, “Carrillo’s talk on the importance of empathy during incarceration was very meaningful.” Fisher, who also found the presentation very interesting said, “I saw it twice because I knew he was going to give different information.” He also added that Carrillo shared that his father, mother, and son died, during his incarceration, making life even harder. This aspect showed the audience that incarceration does not always only affect the individual. “There should be more transparency between . . . people,” Fisher said. Overall, David Carrillo’s story revealed the significance of an understanding beyond headlines and stereotypes.
