In 2020, Colorado took a step forward by abolishing the death penalty and later reforming felony murder laws. Lawmakers acknowledged that intent matters and that not everyone involved in a situation where a life is lost should automatically be sentenced to die in prison. Today, felony murder carries a sentence of 16 to 48 years.
But that change did not reach everyone.
My name is Ricardo, most call me Ricky, and I am one of the individuals still serving life without parole under Colorado’s old felony murder law. I’ve been incarcerated since 1996. When I was 21 years old, I was involved in a situation where a life was lost, something I carry with me every single day. I am not here to deny my responsibility, but I did not intend for anyone to die.
Under today’s law, that distinction matters. Under today’s law, my life would not be defined by a sentence that says I will never come home.
But because of the timing, I am still here.
The question is, what do you do with time when time is all you have?
For me, I chose growth. I chose accountability. I chose to build.
I built a transportation company with my wife. I stepped into construction. I created something from nothing, not because it was easy, but because I made a decision to become more than my worst moment. That is the true meaning behind my nonprofit, Show N Prove (Getting On Before Getting Out.)
It is not just a name. It is a mindset.
Because what you do in here is a reflection of who you will be out there. Growth does not start at release. It starts with a decision.
Through Show N Prove, I focus on bridging the gap between law enforcement and incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals. We create space for communication, accountability, and understanding. We work toward rebuilding trust where it has been broken. We push the idea that change is possible, but it must be intentional.
I am living that work daily.
I wake up every day knowing I may never get the chance to prove who I’ve become outside these walls. But I continue to grow anyway. I continue to build anyway. I continue to hold myself accountable anyway.
Because this is bigger than me.
There are over 100 individuals in Colorado still serving life without parole under a law the state has already recognized as too harsh. Some made mistakes. Some exercised poor judgment. Some never intended for a life to be taken. Yet all remain sentenced under a system that no longer reflects today’s standards of justice.
If the law has evolved, justice should evolve with it.
This is not about excusing the past. This is about acknowledging growth, accountability, and the possibility of redemption. It is about giving people the opportunity to be judged by who they are today, not just who they were at their lowest moment.
I am asking for fairness. I am asking for the chance to be seen under the same standard that exists today.
We call on Colorado leadership to make felony murder reform retroactive.
Because justice should not depend on timing.