The SCJC is partnering with The Opportunity Institute to direct a multi-year project aimed at expanding college opportunities for currently and formerly incarcerated students in California. Based on our report, Degrees of Freedom: Expanding College Opportunities for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Californians, we released a competitive Request for Proposals on behalf of a consortium of foundations to fund pilot programs throughout the State. The list of selected pilot sites is available here: http://theopportunityinstitute.org/opportunity-justice/. A website including a comprehensive statewide directory of prison-, jail- and campus-based programs serving incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students and other useful tools is here.

Our new publication, Don’t Stop Now, applauds the unprecedented growth in the number of California colleges teaching in correctional facilities and reaching formerly incarcerated students in the community, but warns of failure if the state does not focus on quality and sustainability.