Portrait to come

Mr. Paul D. English, QBHA

Understanding Real Life Solutions

Consulting, speaking, and media work grounded in Paul’s experience of prison, recovery, and building a life after incarceration.

Start a conversation Meet Paul

Ways to work together

Experience worth bringing to the table.

Bring Paul into a consultation, a speaking engagement, or a story you’re developing. He welcomes inquiries from law firms, recovery programs, filmmakers, community organizations, and others. Have another project in mind? Tell him about it.

  1. Consulting & advisory

    Firsthand knowledge of incarceration, recovery, and reentry to help people and organizations understand the challenges of rebuilding a life after prison.

    For

    • Law firms
    • Recovery providers
    • Sober-living programs
    • Community organizations
    • Individuals & families

  2. Speaking, training & workshops

    Talks, panels, and workshops about incarceration, solitary confinement, recovery, and coming home, with time for honest questions and conversation.

    For

    • Community events & panels
    • Staff trainings
    • Recovery communities
    • Youth programs

  3. Media & storytelling

    Interviews and input for films, podcasts, and other projects, bringing firsthand knowledge of prison life, gang involvement, recovery, and reentry.

    For

    • Filmmakers
    • Podcast hosts
    • Writers & producers
    • Theater & live events

Paul offers perspective grounded in lived experience. His work does not replace legal advice, clinical treatment or therapy, or expert testimony.

Photo to come

About Paul

Mr. Paul D. English, QBHA

Paul English grew up in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood and spent decades incarcerated. Today, he is a husband, father, peer recovery coach, and Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant (QBHA).

Through URLS LLC — Understanding Real Life Solutions — he brings that experience to consulting, speaking, and media work. He supports people rebuilding their lives and speaks openly about incarceration, recovery, and the responsibilities of coming home.

Based in the Denver metro area, Paul welcomes inquiries from across the country.

Appearances & Conversations

On stage, on mic,
in the room.

  • Buntport Theater

    Panelist · Liberty by Any Means

    Paul joined the post-performance panel for Liberty by Any Means, sharing his experience of incarceration and life after prison.

  • Devine Salerno Podcast

    Podcast guest

    Paul talks with Devine about growing up in Park Hill, spending decades in prison, returning to old patterns, and what changed. They discuss family, patience, and his work supporting men in sober living.

    Watch on YouTube

  • The Savoy Denver

    Panelist · Liberty by Any Means

    At the August 10, 2025 premiere of Liberty by Any Means, a production about solitary confinement, Paul’s portrait was displayed alongside his own words on the five years he spent in solitary.

  • KGNU Community Radio

    Radio guest · Boulder

    Host Erica Lee sat down with Paul on KGNU in Boulder to talk about how we can improve the criminal legal system.

    Listen on KGNU

Names and logos identify venues, programs, and media appearances only. Their inclusion does not imply employment, sponsorship, or endorsement of Mr. Paul D. English or URLS LLC.

Case studies

The work, documented.

Case studies will be shared here once engagements are complete and partners have approved what is published.

Case study in development

Engagement or project name

Context
Who the partner is and what they were working toward.
Paul’s contribution
What Paul did — consulting, speaking, or storytelling input.
Documented outcome
A result the partner has confirmed and approved for publishing.

Coming soon

Engagement or project name

Context · Paul’s contribution · Documented outcome

Coming soon

Engagement or project name

Context · Paul’s contribution · Documented outcome

Reviews

In their words.

Testimonials from partners and audiences will appear here, shared with their permission.

  • Testimonial to be added

    Name · Organization — with permission

  • Testimonial to be added

    Name · Organization — with permission

  • Testimonial to be added

    Name · Organization — with permission

Contact

Start a conversation.

Tell Paul what you’re planning, who it’s for, and how you’d like him involved. For speaking engagements, include the date and location if you have them.

Required

Paul’s story

My Journey: From Prison to Purpose

Getting out of prison after 26 years was a feeling I don’t have the words to describe. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, but it was also bittersweet.

I was finally free, but the world I remembered was gone. My grandparents had passed away, my mother was in prison, and the house I had always known as home had been sold.

Booking photo of Paul as a teenager, front and profile, in an orange jumpsuit

My grandparents had left me money to help me get back on my feet. But how does a grown man learn to manage money, make responsible decisions, and navigate the world when he was locked up at just 14 years old?

My father tried to guide me, but I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn’t listen. Before long, I had spent all my money. Instead of asking for help or finding a better path, I turned to selling and using drugs. Those decisions led me right back to the penitentiary.

Portrait of Paul as a young man in a prison uniform

I eventually got out, completed parole, and thought I had finally put that chapter of my life behind me. I had served a 48-year sentence, and I wanted to move forward. But then I caught two new cases and found myself facing another 38 years in prison. On top of everything else, I lost my mother.

I was at a point in my life when I knew something had to change. I prayed to God and made Him a promise. I asked Him for one last chance, and I promised that if He gave me that chance, I would do better with my life.

My attorney was the best I had ever had. She helped me get a sentence that allowed me to spend five years in a halfway house instead of returning to prison for decades.

When I walked out, I had a different mindset. I was focused, determined, and committed to keeping the promise I had made to God.

This time, I understood that another chance wasn’t something to take for granted. It was an opportunity to do something meaningful with my life.

My past is part of my story, but it does not have to determine my future. I want to use what I have lived through to help others, especially young people who may be standing at a crossroads, making decisions without understanding the consequences.

I know what it feels like to lose years of your life. I know what it feels like to make mistakes, lose loved ones, and have to start over. But I also know that change is possible when you are willing to take responsibility, accept guidance, and commit to doing better.

I believe I was given another chance for a reason. Now, I want to make that chance count by helping others find a different path before they have to learn these lessons the hard way.

What Recovery and Sober Living Mean to Me

People may look at my life from the outside and see an ordinary man living an ordinary life. But when I look at my life, I see a blessing I never want to take for granted.

Paul with his wife and daughter on their wedding day

Recovery and sober living mean so much more to me than simply not using drugs or staying out of prison. They mean having a life worth waking up for. They mean responsibility, consistency, accountability, faith, and love.

Today, I get up every morning and take my daughter to school. I hit the gym, and then I head off to work. I get to come home and be the best husband I can be to my best friend, my beautiful wife. I get to be her teammate, support her dreams, share life’s challenges with her, and build something meaningful together.

These might seem like small things to some people, but to me, they mean everything.

After spending so many years of my life incarcerated, I understand the value of freedom in a way that is difficult to explain. I know what it’s like to lose time, to lose loved ones, and to make decisions that can change the direction of your life. I cannot get those years back, but I can decide what I do with the years I have left.

I no longer have to run from my past. I can remember it, learn from it, and use it to shape my future in a positive way. My past reminds me of where I have been, but it doesn’t have to dictate where I am going.

My faith in God keeps me grounded. I believe in Him, and I strive to follow Him in the way I live, the decisions I make, and the way I treat others. Every day is another opportunity to grow, to do better, and to become the man I know I am capable of being.

For me, recovery is about becoming dependable. It’s about being present for my daughter, loving my wife, being a good coworker and teammate, and contributing something positive to the world around me.

It’s about understanding that being a better man isn’t something you accomplish once. It’s a commitment you make every single day.

Paul in a baseball cap with arms crossed, in a black-and-white portrait

When people look at my life from the outside, they may see a husband, a father, a man who works out, goes to work, and takes care of his family. What they may not see is the journey it took to get here.

And that’s okay. I don’t need my past to define me, but I will never be ashamed to use it to help someone else.

I spent years of my life learning what it means to lose my freedom. Today, I am learning every day what it means to live freely, love deeply, walk in faith, and live with purpose.

That’s what recovery and sober living mean to me. It’s not just about the life I’ve left behind. It’s about the life I’m building today, one day at a time.