COD Initiative Aims to Break Incarceration Cycle

Student Support Program Launches Fall 2024 to Break Incarceration Cycle

PALM DESERT – Advancing innovative programs and ideas is the hallmark of College of the Desert and it’s at the forefront of another enterprise. The college is creating an educational initiative for young adults who have been through juvenile detention systems with the assistance of a $1.5 million grant awarded by the California Community Colleges’ Rising Scholars Network.

The program will establish on-site classes for young adults who are incarcerated and more outreach and resources for students who have been incarcerated in the past.

The grant will cover a five-year period, with the award totaling $1,545,454 and will establish an inaugural program on campus in fall 2024.

“By investing in these students, we are empowering a society where everyone has access to learning opportunities for personal and professional growth,” Amanda Phillips, Dean of Counseling said. “The Rising Scholars program will inspire those who have experienced the criminal justice system by providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”

Students who have experienced the criminal justice system can face significant barriers to academic and career success. The California Community Colleges welcome all students, including those who are incarcerated and those who have experienced incarceration in the past. Colleges with programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students form the Rising Scholars Network.

The Rising Scholars Network, which grew out of Corrections to College California, aims to increase public awareness of the benefits of career and education options for students who are and were formerly incarcerated.

“We’re pleased to announce that nearly 25% of youth enrolled or detained at Indio Juvenile Hall are eligible for college, while 80% of Indio’s Pathways to Success program participants are eligible to attend this year,” said Christopher H. Wright, Chief Probation Officer of the Riverside County Probation Department.

The Rising Scholars program is another step in the right direction toward breaking cycles of recidivism, multigenerational poverty and disadvantaged communities. This new dual enrollment program established by Rising Scholars Network will launch in the fall of 2024.

For more information on the Rising Scholars program, please visit https://risingscholarsnetwork.org/.