About

A story and a guide, from people who lived it

The EchoBridge Initiative explains mass incarceration in the United States, told from Colorado. It has two sides:

• The Story: how the country built its prisons, from the 13th Amendment in 1865 to today, and what that means for the people inside and the towns around them.
• Policy: plain-words guides to the laws and ballot measures that shape the criminal legal system, starting with Colorado's Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

Who we are

The Initiative was founded by Michael Clifton, a qualitative researcher whose work centers people with lived expertise. He spent 24½ years in Colorado prisons, including the Limon and Sterling Correctional Facilities.

How we work

• Every fact is sourced. Numbers and claims link to the record, study or news report they come from. The full list is at the end of The Story.
• Facts and opinion are labeled. In the policy guide, anything marked Our take is the Initiative's view. Everything else is what the measure does.
• Stories come with consent. We don't publish anyone's story without their permission.
• Plain words. If a term needs a law degree to understand, we explain it.