When Advocacy Wins: Demetrius’ Journey to the Visitation Rights Bill

In a defining moment for justice-impacted families across Colorado, the state legislature has passed the CDOC Prison Visitation Rights Bill (HB-1013), with Governor Jared Polis expected to sign it into law in the coming days. This trailblazing legislation establishes visitation as a right, not a privilege, for individuals incarcerated in Colorado’s state prison system.

For the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a proud co-sponsor of the bill through its partnership with the End Slavery Coalition (ESC), this victory represents a statewide policy breakthrough. It marks a professional and personal milestone for one of CEO’s own.

Demetrius, an alumnus of CEO Colorado Springs and former Advocacy Fellow, has now led his first bill across the finish line as the ESC’s Coalition Manager.

Before HB-1013, visitation in Colorado’s prison system could be limited or revoked at the discretion of the Department of Corrections. Such policies, while often framed as necessary, undermine rehabilitation and impose an emotional and logistical toll on families striving to stay connected.

Data and human experience tell us otherwise: meaningful contact with loved ones during incarceration is transformative. One study found a 25% decrease in disciplinary infractions among those who received visits. Another showed that maintaining family connections can reduce recidivism by as much as 26%.

When 87% of people released from Colorado prisons return home without a job, and many spend up to eight months seeking stability, family ties become not just emotional lifelines, but practical anchors.

HB-1013 is a seismic shift in that reality. It creates protections, not just permissions, for incarcerated Coloradans and their families—a step forward toward dignity, healing, and equity.

Demetrius’ journey began on CEO’s transitional work crew with the Colorado Department of Transportation. He showed up each day performing tasks such as painting, repairing, and building, not only infrastructure, but also a future. That diligence led to an internship with CEO’s Emerging Leaders Program, where he connected directly with justice-impacted individuals, helped navigate services, and ensured that no one walked the path alone.

Then came the Colorado Advocacy Fellowship, where Demetrius found his calling in policy change. Over the course of his fellowship, he recruited and moderated for CEO’s Advocacy Leadership Committee, supporting dozens of participants nationwide in sharing their stories and sharpening their voices. He testified before the Colorado legislature, helped shape reentry policies like SB24-012 (the Reentry Workforce Development Cash Assistance Pilot), and spoke at CEO’s Cash+ Colorado event, capturing hearts and legislative support.

Through CEO, he also served on the Coalition for Reentry Cash, providing strategic updates and building cross-state policy alignment. This deep well of lived experience, strategic acumen, and personal drive made him a natural choice to lead ESC’s legislative campaign for HB-1013.

With HB-1013 soon to become law, Demetrius now stands at the confluence of his past and future. From transitional work to empowering advocacy, he has emerged not just as a professional organizer but as a symbol of what happens when we invest in people, not punishment.

CEO’s role in this story is more than organizational—it’s deeply personal. It’s about the journey of one man who, given a fair chance, is now building those chances for others.

“This victory is about families, about human dignity,” Demetrius says. “But for me, it’s also proof that we, the justice-impacted, are not only worth fighting for...we are the ones doing the fighting.”

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