RSP in the News

Media Coverage

• Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, An Evaluation of the Implementation of Face to Face Higher Education in Prison: Impacts of Policy, Reform, and Collaboration (February 2019)
• The American Prospect, California Ramps Up College Education Behind Bars (February 2019)
• California Teachers Association, CCA Task Force Makes Sure Faculty are Safe and Secure (January 2019)
• Corrections to College: Don't stop now (2018)
• Desert News, Cerro Coso providing second chance to prisoners (December 2018)

Events

• March 12. 2019 Intent to award notification for RFA 18-087, Amendment 1, Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Students Reentry Program
• March 4, 2019 ISEP team leads workshops at the Chancellor's Office in Sacramento for the Conference of Colleges Serving Currently Incarcerated Students
• February 22, 2019 ISEP core implementation team and faculty attend the Trauma-Informed and Resiliency Based Practices regional workshop with the McSilver Institute of NYU
• December 4, 2018 Graduation Ceremony at Cal City Correctional Facility for 17 ISEP graduates
• November 14-16, 2018 presenting at the California Institutional Research (CAIR) Conference in Anaheim, Ca
• November 14-18, 2018 presenting at the National Anthropology Association Conference in San Jose, Ca
• November 7-11, 2018 presenting 3 sessions at the National Conference for Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) in Indianapolis, Indiana
• October 16, 2018 partnering with the McSilver Institute of NYU the beginning of a multi-year Trauma Informed Teaching Practices study and implementation
• October 15, 2018 the ISEP Team is in Sacramento presenting to the California Chancellor's Office on developments since receiving the Innovation Award
• April 30, 2018 Co-Awarded the California Community College Chancellor's Office Innovation Award (a competitive process amongst 114 California Community Colleges, awarded for innovative programing of guided pathways, data collection and student centered approach in prison)
• Our first 8 graduates walked (see picture) in Spring 2018 at the California City Prison Facility
• 4 new Faculty Coordinator positions developed
• June 2, 2018 UCLA. Faculty and Institutional Research Director presented data findings of a 3 year comparative analysis of Traditional vs Incarcerated Student Success Rates
• April 18-19, 2018 ISEP Team traveled to the California Prison Education Summit to discuss verging education programs in California Prisons
• March 21-23, 2018 ISEP Team attending a Prison University Project conference on instructional methods, administrative issues and was able to visit San Quentin State Prison

Further Reading

• California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Inmate Education: Encouraging Results from Pilot Program (2018)
• Vera Institute of Justice, Growing Momentum to Expand Access to Quality Postsecondary Education for People in Prison (2019)
• Providing prisoners access to Pell grants (2019)
• The Washington Post, How lifting a federal ban on student aid for inmates could bolster state economies (2019)
• The Los Angeles Times, Four prisons in California to get community college programs (2015)
• SB1391 Inmate Education/Community Colleges (2014)
• U.S. Department of Education, Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Prisons (2009)

(right to left: Alec Griffin, Peter Fulks, Nikki Gardepe, Lisa Stephens and Nicole Griffin)

Just Part of the Team visiting the Prison University Project in San Quentin State Prison. This program is an inspiration to all effective prison higher education classes. The program – now known as Mount Tamalpais College – gained full accreditation as an independent college by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in March 2022. To learn more about Mount Tamalpais College, please visit: www.mttamcollege.edu.