AB 2341: Student Equity and Achievement Program: Rising Scholars Network: justice-involved students.
- Session Year: 2019-2020
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2020-06-11
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Date
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Status
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| Jul 1, 2020 | Referred to Com. on ED. |
| Jun 16, 2020 | In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. |
| Jun 15, 2020 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 4884.) |
| Jun 11, 2020 | Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 4830.) |
| Jun 8, 2020 | Read second time. Ordered to third reading. |
| Jun 4, 2020 | Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. |
| Jun 3, 2020 | From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (June 3). |
| Jun 2, 2020 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| May 14, 2020 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| May 5, 2020 | Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| May 4, 2020 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended. |
| Apr 24, 2020 | Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| Feb 19, 2020 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 20. |
| Feb 18, 2020 | Read first time. To print. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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| Jun 15, 2020 | AB 2341 McCarty Assembly Third Reading | Assembly Floor |
Passed |
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| Jun 3, 2020 | Do pass as amended. | Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
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| May 13, 2020 | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ATR Bill Id:AB 2341
Author:(McCarty)
As Amended Ver:June 11, 2020
Majority vote
SUMMARY:
Authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC) to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, as part of the Student Equity and Achievement Program (SEAP), to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students.
Major Provisions
- Authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the CCC to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, as part of the SEAP, to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students, as specified.
- Specifies that funding included in the Budget Act for the Student Equity and Achievement Program may be used for programs that are part of the Rising Scholars Network.
- Requires a community college district that wishes to participate in the Rising Scholars Network to apply for funding by including justice-involved students as part of a student equity plan under the SEAP, as provided, and would require the board of governors to adopt regulations for the Rising Scholars Network that fulfill certain goals and guidance.
- Require the board of governors, on or before December 31, 2023, to submit a report to the Governor describing its efforts to serve justice-involved students, and including recommendations on whether and how the Rising Scholars Network can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses
COMMENTS:
Background. SB 1391 (Hancock), Chapter 695, Statutes of 2014, expanded access to face-to-face community college courses for incarcerated students through collaboration between the California Community Colleges and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Under the initial policy and funding framework of SB 1391, four pilot colleges were selected to offer instruction inside prisons.
Subsequently, other colleges were able to leverage resources to provide courses inside state prisons in their local areas. In total, 19 colleges piloted credit bearing, face-to-face, degree building education programs at 34 of the 35 CDCR state prisons. Over 5,000 students are enrolled each semester in these courses. The 2018-19 budget also provided new resources ($5 million one-time) to the California Community Colleges to support the creation and expansion of reentry programs for formerly incarcerated persons.
SEAP. In 2018, SEAP was established and merged funding for three initiatives: the Student Success and Support Program; the Basic Skills Initiative; and Student Equity. SEAP requires colleges to implement the Guided Pathways framework offering a clear path to a stated goal, to provide all students with an education plan based on that goal, and to revise placement policies to ensure that students complete prerequisite courses of study in a math or English in a timely fashion. Colleges must also maintain a student equity plan.
Equity plans are focused on boosting achievement as measured by specific success indicators and require each college to develop detailed goals and measures addressing disparities that are discovered.
According to the Author:
According to the author, "In the past decade, California's criminal justice system has refocused its efforts toward rehabilitation services for incarcerated individuals and those coming home under community supervision. Education is considered a rehabilitation tool that is crucial in reducing recidivism.
"In general, incarcerated individuals have less educational attainment than the general public; in 2004, approximately 36% of individuals in state prisons had attained less than a high school education compared with 19% of the general population. Many of those currently incarcerated report they were unable to receive a high school diploma because of incarceration and facing academic or behavioral problems
"Justice-involved students face unique challenges as they strive to reintegrate into their communities and navigate the higher education system. 29% of the U.S. population in 2008, compared to less than 4% of formerly incarcerated people, held a college degree. This is, in part, due to a lack of support services and the absence of a sense of community for justice-involved students on college campuses. Many of these students are still under community supervision, needing to follow strict guidelines that may interfere with their schooling. Having a program on campus which understands and addresses the unique challenges justice-involved students face is essential to their success…through the Rising Scholars Network, we will be able to provide services to California Community College justice-involved students and help them achieve the academic success and financial stability a higher education provides."
Arguments in Support:
The Student Senate for California Community Colleges writes that "…justice-involved students are those who were incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and detained people. This population is a major one within the community college system, but consistently is ignored at all levels of decision making. AB 2341 would help create additional pathways for this underserved student community to best be able to continue their education and would increase the enrollment, retention, and success of these students.
"At all levels, community college students struggle with how to navigate the higher education system and access the support services they need. However, this need is exacerbated by the marginalization that students face once they're thrust within the criminal justice system. This marginalization worsens across socioeconomic and racial lines, impacting the neediest students the most. The community college system prides itself on providing education to the top 100% of students, and has been extraordinarily successful at giving students of all backgrounds the opportunity to craft a better life through education. The creation of the Rising Scholars Network would allow the community college system to continue that mission and provide opportunities to a student population that is far too often forgotten.
"Now more than ever, too many student groups are being forgotten amidst the current COVID-19 epidemic. Our justice-involved students are a population that can far too easily fall to the wayside if not proactively protected. Providing the guarantee of a Rising Scholars Network that can be extended and made system-wide would provide one such protection."
Arguments in Opposition:
There is no opposition on file.
FISCAL COMMENTS:
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
- Minor and absorbable General Fund costs to the CCC Chancellor’s Office to administer the requirements of the program as specified in the bill.
- Potential cost pressures to SEAP for a CCC to use funding towards this program if they choose to do so. (Several CCCs already provide some programs for justice-involved students with moneys from SEAP.)
VOTES:
ASM HIGHER EDUCATION: 12-0-0
YES: Medina, Arambula, Bloom, Voepel, Gabriel, Irwin, Kiley, Levine, Low, Patterson, Santiago, Weber
ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 18-0-0
YES: Gonzalez, Bigelow, Bauer-Kahan, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Megan Dahle, Diep, Eggman, Fong, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Petrie-Norris, McCarty, Robert Rivas, Voepel
UPDATED:
VERSION: June 11, 2020
CONSULTANT: Kevin J. Powers / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0003074
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ATR Bill Id:AB 2341
Author:(McCarty)
As Amended Ver:June 4, 2020
Majority vote
SUMMARY:
Authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC) to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, as part of the Student Equity and Achievement Program (SEAP), to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students.
Major Provisions
- Authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the CCC to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, as part of the SEAP, to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students, as specified.
- Requires a community college district that wishes to participate in the Rising Scholars Network to apply for funding by including justice-involved students as part of a student equity plan under the SEAP, as provided, and would require the board of governors to adopt regulations for the Rising Scholars Network that fulfill certain goals and guidance.
- Require the board of governors, on or before December 31, 2022, and every two years thereafter, to submit a report to the Governor describing its efforts to serve justice-involved students, and including recommendations on whether and how the Rising Scholars Network can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses
COMMENTS:
Background. SB 1391 (Hancock), Chapter 695, Statutes of 2014, expanded access to face-to-face community college courses for incarcerated students through collaboration between the California Community Colleges and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Under the initial policy and funding framework of SB 1391, four pilot colleges were selected to offer instruction inside prisons.
Subsequently, other colleges were able to leverage resources to provide courses inside state prisons in their local areas. In total, 19 colleges piloted credit bearing, face-to-face, degree building education programs at 34 of the 35 CDCR state prisons. Over 5,000 students are enrolled each semester in these courses. The 2018-19 budget also provided new resources ($5 million one-time) to the California Community Colleges to support the creation and expansion of reentry programs for formerly incarcerated persons.
SEAP. In 2018, SEAP was established and merged funding for three initiatives: the Student Success and Support Program; the Basic Skills Initiative; and Student Equity. SEAP requires colleges to implement the Guided Pathways framework offering a clear path to a stated goal, to provide all students with an education plan based on that goal, and to revise placement policies to ensure that students complete prerequisite courses of study in a math or English in a timely fashion. Colleges must also maintain a student equity plan.
Equity plans are focused on boosting achievement as measured by specific success indicators and require each college to develop detailed goals and measures addressing disparities that are discovered.
According to the Author:
According to the author, "In the past decade, California''s criminal justice system has refocused its efforts toward rehabilitation services for incarcerated individuals and those coming home under community supervision. Education is considered a rehabilitation tool that is crucial in reducing recidivism.
"In general, incarcerated individuals have less educational attainment than the general public; in 2004, approximately 36% of individuals in state prisons had attained less than a high school education compared with 19% of the general [United States U.S.)]population. Many of those currently incarcerated report they were unable to receive a high school diploma because of incarceration and facing academic or behavioral problems
"Justice-involved students face unique challenges as they strive to reintegrate into their communities and navigate the higher education system. 29% of the U.S. population in 2008, compared to less than 4% of formerly incarcerated people, held a college degree. This is, in part, due to a lack of support services and the absence of a sense of community for justice-involved students on college campuses. Many of these students are still under community supervision, needing to follow strict guidelines that may interfere with their schooling. Having a program on campus which understands and addresses the unique challenges justice-involved students face is essential to their success…through the Rising Scholars Network, we will be able to provide services to California Community College justice-involved students and help them achieve the academic success and financial stability a higher education provides."
Arguments in Support:
The Student Senate for California Community Colleges writes that "…justice-involved students are those who were incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and detained people. This population is a major one within the community college system, but consistently is ignored at all levels of decision making. AB 2341 would help create additional pathways for this underserved student community to best be able to continue their education and would increase the enrollment, retention, and success of these students.
"At all levels, community college students struggle with how to navigate the higher education system and access the support services they need. However, this need is exacerbated by the marginalization that students face once they're thrust within the criminal justice system. This marginalization worsens across socioeconomic and racial lines, impacting the neediest students the most. The community college system prides itself on providing education to the top 100% of students, and has been extraordinarily successful at giving students of all backgrounds the opportunity to craft a better life through education. The creation of the Rising Scholars Network would allow the community college system to continue that mission and provide opportunities to a student population that is far too often forgotten.
"Now more than ever, too many student groups are being forgotten amidst the current COVID-19 epidemic. Our justice-involved students are a population that can far too easily fall to the wayside if not proactively protected. Providing the guarantee of a Rising Scholars Network that can be extended and made system-wide would provide one such protection."
Arguments in Opposition:
There is no opposition on file.
FISCAL COMMENTS:
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
- Minor and absorbable General Fund costs to the CCC Chancellor''s Office to administer the requirements of the program as specified in the bill.
- Potential cost pressures to SEAP for a CCC to use funding towards this program if they choose to do so. (Several CCCs already provide some programs for justice-involved students with moneys from SEAP.)
VOTES
ASM HIGHER EDUCATION: 12-0-0
YES: Medina, Arambula, Bloom, Voepel, Gabriel, Irwin, Kiley, Levine, Low, Patterson, Santiago, Weber
ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 18-0-0
YES: Gonzalez, Bigelow, Bauer-Kahan, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Megan Dahle, Diep, Eggman, Fong, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Petrie-Norris, McCarty, Robert Rivas, Voepel
UPDATED:
VERSION: June 4, 2020
CONSULTANT: Kevin J. Powers / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0003003
Date of Hearing: June 2, 2020
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2341
Author:(McCarty) – As Amended Ver:May 4, 2020
Policy Committee: | Higher Education | Vote: | 12 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes the California Community College (CCC) Chancellor’s Office to establish, subject to appropriation, a grant program within community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for formerly and currently incarcerated students.
Specifically, the bill authorizes the CCC Chancellor’s Office to enter into agreements with up to 50 CCCs to administer a grant program to expand the number of formerly and currently incarcerated students participating and succeeding in the community colleges. In addition, the CCC Board of Governors (BOG) is to adopt regulations for the program and shall review applications for the funds from CCCs. Funds are to be used for various support and services for formerly and currently incarcerated students, including tutoring, counseling and professional development for faculty and staff.
The bill allows the CCC Board of Governors to designate up to 5% of the grant funds allocated for program administration. It also requires, beginning December 31, 2022, and every two years thereafter, the CCC BOG submit a report to the Governor describing the program’s impacts and makes recommendations on expanding the program to additional CCCs.
FISCAL EFFECT:
- One-time Proposition 98 General Fund costs of between $5 million and $10 million for the grant program. (More discussion of the rationale for this amount in grant funding is provided below.)
- Minor and absorbable General Fund costs to the CCC Chancellor’s Office to administer the grant program. The Chancellor’s Office indicates it currently has staff dedicated to programs for formerly and currently incarcerated students and that the 5% designated in the bill for administration would cover costs.
COMMENTS:
Background. AB 1809 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 33, Statutes of 2018, created a grant program similar to the grant program created by this bill. Specifically, AB 1809 appropriated $5 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to the CCC for a one-time reentry grant program to support currently and formerly incarcerated students. The bill required a report on the use of these funds by July 31, 2022.
According to the CCC Chancellor’s Office, 44 colleges received $113,000 each from the $5 million appropriated in AB 1809. The colleges receiving funds reported need in excess of those funds. For this reason, the CCC Chancellor indicates $10 million in funding for the grant program would better align with need.
Analysis Prepared by: Natasha Collins / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
Date of Hearing: May 13, 2020
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2341 (
Author:McCarty) – As Amended Ver:May 4, 2020
SUBJECT: Rising Scholars Network: justice-involved students
SUMMARY: Authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC) to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students. Specifically, this bill:
- Authorizes the office of the Chancellor of the CCC to stablish a program to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students. This program will be known as the Rising Scholars Network, and will expand the number of justice-involved students participating and succeeding in the community colleges and will not displace other students.
- Specifies that a community college district (CCD) that wishes to participate in the Rising Scholars Network shall apply to the board of governors for funding pursuant to this article. The application of each participating CCD will identify the Rising Scholars college or colleges in the district, and shall include, but not be limited to, the number of justice-involved students who will be served. The application shall also describe the extent of cooperation between the college and local criminal justice stakeholders including, as applicable, wardens, county sheriffs, juvenile facilities, and probation departments.
- Specifies that, to the maximum extent feasible, funds received by a community college under this article will be used for, but not limited to, any of the following supports and services:
- Provide any of the following for programs serving all justice-involved students, whether on campus or in custody:
- Academic counseling or advising that provides clear pathways;
- Academic tutoring;
- Financial aid information and application assistance;
- Frequent in-person contact; and,
- Professional development for faculty and staff.
- Provide any of the following for programs serving formerly incarcerated students on campus:
- Peer-to-peer support or mentoring;
- Assistance with accessing campus resources, including admissions, financial aid, and student services;
- Career counseling and, as feasible, placement services; and,
- Assistance with accessing community resources, including record clearance, housing assistance, mental health support, and social services.
- Provide either of the following for programs serving currently incarcerated or detained students:
- Transitional materials and services to support students in enrollment and persistence in higher education upon release; and
- Parity of academic supports and services as provided on campus.
- Provide any of the following for programs serving all justice-involved students, whether on campus or in custody:
- Requires the board of governors (BOG) of the CCC will adopt regulations for the Rising Scholars Network that fulfill the following goals and guidance:
- Participating colleges designate a staff program director, coordinator, or liaison who has experience working with currently or formerly incarcerated students;
- Funded programs are supported with a dedicated campus meeting space;
- Funded programs build support and competency from a broad range of college stakeholders;
- Participating colleges offer and make accessible a range of student supports to address academic and nonacademic needs;
- Funded programs foster peer mentors, as applicable;
- Funded programs develop and maintain strong relationships with external partners, including community-based programs, probation, parole, and county jails;
- Participating colleges provide or connect justice-involved students with direct student financial support for critical needs;
- Funded programs outreach and respond to prospective justice-involved students, particularly those in jail or prison; and,
- Funded programs help justice-involved students apply, matriculate, and persist to graduation.
- Requires the CCC BOG to be responsible for the administration of funds for the Rising Scholars Network. To the extent possible, services provided under this article to justice-involved students will be coordinated with, and not supplant, other services provided by the county and state.
- Specifies that the CCC BOG may authorize the chancellor, consistent with the requirements the BOG may impose, to designate up to five percent of the funds allocated, as specified, for program administration, program development, and program accountability.
- Requires that, on or before December 31, 2022, and every two years thereafter, the CCC BOG must submit a report to the Governor describing its efforts to serve justice-involved students. The reports must include recommendations on whether and how the Rising Scholars Network can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses.
- Specifies that the language of this bill will be operative in a fiscal year only if funds have been appropriated, as specified, for that fiscal year by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
- Specifies that, for the purposes of this bill:
- “Justice-involved” means a person who is currently or formerly incarcerated in a California correctional facility, or currently or formerly detained in a juvenile facility.
- “Rising Scholars Network” means the program established pursuant to AB 2341.
- Makes various findings and declarations, as specified.
EXISTING LAW:
- Requires on or before March 1, 2015, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCCO) to enter into an interagency agreement to expand access to community college courses that lead to degrees or certificates that result in enhanced workforce skills or transfer to a four-year university. The courses for inmates in a state correctional facility developed as a result of this agreement will serve to supplement, but not duplicate or supplant, any adult education course opportunities offered at that facility by the Office of Correctional Education of the CDCR
.
- Requires the CDCR, in collaboration with the CCCCO, to develop metrics for evaluations of the efficacy and success of the programs developed through the interagency agreement established pursuant to this section, conduct the evaluations, and report findings from the evaluations to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 31, 2018.
- Specified the requirement for submitting a report is inoperative on July 31, 2022, as specified. (Education Code (EDC) Section 84810.7).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS: Purpose. According to the author, “In the past decade, California’s criminal justice system has refocused its efforts toward rehabilitation services for incarcerated individuals and those coming home under community supervision. Education is considered a rehabilitation tool that is crucial in reducing recidivism.”
“In general, incarcerated individuals have less educational attainment than the general public; in 2004, approximately 36 percent of individuals in state prisons had attained less than a high school education compared with 19 percent of the general U.S. population. Many of those currently incarcerated report they were unable to receive a high school diploma because of incarceration and facing academic or behavioral problems
“Incarceration clearly interferes with people’s ability to continue their education, hence the low levels of educational attainment. Studies suggest that justice-involved students are less likely to recidivate. A 2013 study by the Rand Corporation found inmates who participated in educational programs were 43 percent less likely to recidivate than those who did not participate. Specifically, individuals who participated in college programs had 51 percent lower odds of recidivating.
“Justice-involved students face unique challenges as they strive to reintegrate into their communities and navigate the higher education system. 29 percent of the U.S. population in 2008, compared to less than 4 percent of formerly incarcerated people, held a college degree. This is, in part, due to a lack of support services and the absence of a sense of community for justice-involved students on college campuses. Many of these students are still under community supervision, needing to follow strict guidelines that may interfere with their schooling. Having a program on campus which understands and addresses the unique challenges justice-involved students face is essential to their success…through the Rising Scholars Network, we will be able to provide services to California Community College justice-involved students and help them achieve the academic success and financial stability a higher education provides.”
Background. SB 1391 (Hancock), Chapter 695, Statutes of 2014, expanded access to face-to-face community college courses for incarcerated students through collaboration between the California Community Colleges and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Under the initial policy and funding framework of SB 1391, four pilot colleges were selected to offer instruction inside prisons.
Subsequently, other colleges were able to leverage resources to provide courses inside state prisons in their local areas. In total, 19 colleges piloted credit bearing, face-to-face, degree building education programs at 34 of the 35 CDCR state prisons. Over 5,000 students are enrolled each semester in these courses. The 2018-19 budget also provided new resources ($5 million one-time) to the California Community Colleges to support the creation and expansion of reentry programs for formerly incarcerated persons.
Program growth and success. A January 2020 report published jointly by Correction to College and Stanford Law School Criminal Justice Center called Striving for Success: The Academic Achievements of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Students in California Community Colleges documented the growth and efficacy of California’s programs for incarcerated students. Eleven community colleges voluntarily provided existing data from spring 2018 and fall 2018 semesters. Six colleges (Bakersfield, Cerro Coso, Cuesta, Imperial Valley, Solano and Southwestern) provided data on their incarcerated students, for a total of 3,172 unique incarcerated students. All students were enrolled in face-to-face degree-granting courses in a variety of prisons and yards, as California does not restrict college participation based on crime of commitment, security classification, or sentence length. Six community colleges (Chabot, Compton, Imperial Valley, Laney, Santa Rosa, and Shasta) provided data on their formerly incarcerated students, for a total of 384 unique formerly incarcerated students.
The authors observed that:
- Demographically, the racial/ethnic composition of the incarcerated students is comparable to CDCR population, but reflects a much larger proportion of Black students than the community college system. Similarly, the age of incarcerated students and the CDCR population mirror one another, but the incarcerated students tend to be older than the students enrolled in the California community college system as a whole.
- Incarcerated students outperformed their main campus and system-wide counterparts on grades, success rate and African American male success. Specifically, in both spring 2018 and fall 2018, almost half of incarcerated students who completed at least one course earned a term 4.0 GPA for the semester. More than 80% of the spring and fall 2018 students received a term GPA of 3.0 or above. The median cumulative and median term GPAs for the incarcerated students was 3.5 or higher for both spring 2018 and fall 2018.
- Of the 2,027 incarcerated college students in the sample who were enrolled in the spring 2018 semester, 1,178 (58.1%) persisted and enrolled in the fall 2018 semester. The authors note that the reasons why an incarcerated student may not have persisted are unknown and are often out of the student’s control. An example given was that a student could be transferred to another yard within the same prison or to another prison where college programming is not available, placed in a job assignment that takes place at the same time as the college courses, or released from custody.
- Compared to students enrolled in their same colleges and to all community college students statewide, incarcerated students are more likely to be part-time than full-time (where full-time status is defined as being enrolled in 12 units or more in a particular semester). The authors noted that most incarcerated individuals have mandated work assignments and other prison-imposed requirements that limit the number of college courses they can take.
Arguments in support. “Justice-involved students are those who were incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and detained people. This population is a major one within the community college system, but consistently is ignored at all levels of decision making. AB 2341 would help create additional pathways for this underserved student community to best be able to continue their education and would increase the enrollment, retention, and success of these students.
“At all levels, community college students struggle with how to navigate the higher education system and access the support services they need. However, this need is exacerbated by the marginalization that students face once they’re thrust within the criminal justice system. This marginalization worsens across socioeconomic and racial lines, impacting the neediest students the most. The community college system prides itself on providing education to the top 100% of students, and has been extraordinarily successful at giving students of all backgrounds the opportunity to craft a better life through education. The creation of the Rising Scholars Network would allow the community college system to continue that mission and provide opportunities to a student population that is far too often forgotten.
“Now more than ever, too many student groups are being forgotten amidst the current COVID-19 epidemic. Our justice-involved students are a population that can far too easily fall to the wayside if not proactively protected. Providing the guarantee of a Rising Scholars Network that can be extended and made system-wide would provide one such protection.”
Prior legislation. SB 1391 (Hancock), Chapter 695, Statutes of 2014, allowed California CCCs to receive full funding for credit-course instruction offered in correctional institutions and sought to expand the offering of such courses.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Palomar College
Project Rebound, Sacramento State University
Restoring Our Communities at Laney College
Rio Hondo College
Shasta College Step-up Program
Student Senate for California Community Colleges
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by: Kevin J. Powers / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):