Garcia Says Imprisoned Son Still Part of Life

Pueblo Chieftain
DENVER — Monday through Saturday, Joe Garcia tends to his business as president of Colorado State University-Pueblo and campaigning as a candidate for lieutenant governor, but on most Sundays he goes to prison.
That’s where he visits his adopted son, Joaquin Garcia.
“We’re still a close family, and we’ll always try to support each other,” Joe Garcia said. “We visit him when we can and encourage him to take classes and participate in different programs. My kids have all accomplished different things.”
Garcia is the father of a daughter who followed his path and graduated from Harvard Law School. Her twin brother holds a degree in economics from Colorado College, and their little brother is attending college in Colorado Springs.
Joaquin Garcia, 25 (just a few months younger than his twin siblings), took his own route and now finds himself about halfway through a 12-year prison term that was imposed in April 2006.
He was convicted of aggravated robbery, aggravated motor-vehicle theft and misdemeanor theft in El Paso County for crimes committed in 2004 and 2005, according to Colorado Department of Corrections records.
Joaquin Garcia is housed at Arrowhead Correctional Center in Canon City, a minimum-security setting that focuses on therapeutic treatment of prisoners.
“For the most part, he’s in therapy all day,” said DOC spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti. “He has a key to his room and can come and go.”
Joaquin Garcia began his prison term at Crowley County Correctional Facility with a medium-security designation. Next he was shipped to North Fork prison in Oklahoma, before being returned to Crowley County Correctional Facility in November 2007.
In March he was transferred to Arrowhead.
“Probably for good behavior, he’s gotten himself there,” Sanguinetti said, citing his graduation to minimum-security classification.