By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) celebrated the graduation of 135 incarcerated students, who earned bachelor’s degrees, during commencement ceremonies held across California in May and June, marking another milestone in the state’s higher education programs for incarcerated people.
According to CDCR, 36 graduates earned summa cum laude honors, the highest academic distinction. The department said higher education remains a key component of its rehabilitation strategy, with more than 13.5% of California’s incarcerated population currently enrolled in college courses.
“Higher education serves as a powerful rehabilitative tool that transforms lives and improves public safety for all. I commend each graduate for taking this important step in preparing for a successful future,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber.
CDCR partners with California’s public higher education system to provide associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs through California Community Colleges, the California State University system and the University of California.
The department reported that more than 10,000 incarcerated students enroll in community college courses each semester across all CDCR institutions. Students who complete lower-division coursework through community colleges may transfer to one of 12 institutions offering bachelor’s degree programs through seven university partners.
CDCR said research shows incarcerated people who participate in correctional education are 48% less likely to return to prison within three years than those who do not have access to educational opportunities. The department also reported that individuals who completed college courses while incarcerated were 31% more likely to obtain employment after their release.
Among this year’s graduating classes, 29 students at Centinela State Prison earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism through San Diego State University’s Valuing Incarcerated Scholars through Academia, or VISTA, program. Nineteen graduated with academic honors, including four who earned summa cum laude distinction. The VISTA program launched in 2023 and graduated its first cohort in 2025.
At California State Prison, Los Angeles County, 20 students received Bachelor of Arts degrees in communication through Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative. The university established the program 10 years ago as California’s first in-person bachelor’s degree program for incarcerated students and has since expanded it to the California Institution for Women and the California Institution for Men. The university also plans to launch its first cohort at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in August.
At Folsom State Prison, 22 students graduated with bachelor’s degrees in law and society through Sacramento State University. Every graduate received academic honors, including 17 who earned summa cum laude recognition.
Another 24 students at Mule Creek State Prison received Bachelor of Arts degrees in communication studies through Sacramento State’s Transforming Outcomes Project. Twenty-two graduates earned academic honors, including 11 summa cum laude graduates. CDCR said the program will expand to California Medical Facility next year.
The University of California, Irvine’s LIFTED program graduated its third cohort at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where 25 students earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology. Nineteen graduates also completed minors in English, nine earned Latin honors, including four summa cum laude graduates, and six were nominated to Phi Beta Kappa.
At California Rehabilitation Center, the University of California, Riverside, celebrated the first graduating class of its LIFTED in-prison degree program. Fifteen students earned bachelor’s degrees in Education, Society and Human Development with a concentration in social justice. According to CDCR, four graduates are scheduled for release to parole supervision and have already been accepted into master’s degree programs that begin this fall.
CDCR said it continues expanding access to higher education as part of its rehabilitation efforts, emphasizing that educational opportunities prepare incarcerated people with skills to support successful reentry into their communities.
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