California Institution for Women Celebrates First Incarcerated Female Cohort of Cal State LA Bachelor’s Program

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: On Friday, Oct. 3, 22 incarcerated students at California Institution for Women in Corona graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts through California State University, Los Angeles. Graduates are the first women to earn a degree through the historic collaboration between the California Department of Corrections and Cal State LA.

BIGGER PICTURE: The California Department of Corrections (CDCR) leads the nation in higher education. Each year thousands of incarcerated people are enrolled in programs that meet their educational needs - and prepare them with skills for reentry into their communities.

The state continues to move toward a positive shift in correctional policy, focusing on proper support for staff and survivors, but also fostering rehabilitative environments, including educational opportunities, for the incarcerated population, leading to safer communities overall.

Studies show that incarcerated individuals who participate in correctional education are 48% less likely to return to prison within three years than those who did not have access to these opportunities.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

PRISON GRADUATION INITIATIVE (PGI): The collaboration between CDCR and Cal State LA began in 2016 at California State Prison, Los Angeles County in Lancaster. To date, 73 students have earned bachelor's degrees while incarcerated, including 21 who seamlessly completed their coursework at Cal State LA after paroling. This past May, Cal State LA has partnered with CDCR to build the first "college campus " within a prison at the California Institution for Men in Chino, where 59 matriculated students are pursuing college degrees. The two-year, 60-unit program provides tailored coursework focused on connecting student learning to future careers.

In the 2025-26 school year, PGI will serve a total of 180 students in three prisons (California State Prison, Los Angeles County; California Institution for Women and California Institution for Men).

CDCR'S COLLEGE PROGRAMS: CDCR partners with California's public higher education system to offer associate, bachelor's and master's degrees through the California community colleges, the California State University, and the University of California. More than 13.5% of the entire incarcerated population are enrolled in college courses.

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD:
• Photos of the graduation
• Video of graduation

Learn more about CDCR's education programs here.