Sinclair Community College’s Prison Education program began offering post-secondary opportunities for incarcerated students in 1984 and since that time has expanded from 2 to 16 prison sites. In 2012, Sinclair Community College served approximately 250 students and is now serving over 2,000 students annually. Of the 2,000 students being served annually approximately 35% are released each year with employment-based academic credentials in fields open to Returning Citizens.

In response to the increased number of incarcerated students that are being served and subsequently released, Sinclair Community College launched the Returning Citizen Initiative in 2017 to ensure that reentry students have an identified support network for both reentry and academic needs. This goal is accomplished through the following services: outreach, pre-release preparation, and post-release support.

Outreach is accomplished by establishing contact, creating partnerships and raising awareness in the prison sites, on campus, and in the community. Pre-release preparation provides a support network and identifies reentry and academic resources that results in a comprehensive reentry plan prior to release. Post-release support focuses on maintaining a strong network, reinforcing previously established reentry goals and encouraging Returning Citizens throughout every step of their journey. Since 2017, over 800 Returning Citizens have been served through the Returning Citizen Initiative.

In this webinar, we will discuss post-secondary educational options for incarcerated students, the pathway to reentry prior to release, and tools, information, and strategies to ensure Returning Citizens successfully reenter society.

Click here for more information and to register for the event!