Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Steven Hecht

Committee Member

James Pann

Committee Member

Tina Jaeckle

Keywords

community reentry, formerly incarcerated students, higher education, project rebound, rehabilitation

Abstract

As the United States attempts to address issues of prison overcrowding, recidivism, and rehabilitation, states like California have turned to higher education during and after incarceration to remedy the situation and promote successful community reentry among individuals who have served time in the nation’s prisons. People who are formerly incarcerated are often up against a myriad of obstacles once released, and programs like California State University’s Project Rebound aim to aid in this transition through a model rooted in community and campus care. Numerous bodies of research have explored the impacts of education on individuals who are actively incarcerated; however, few studies have analyzed or given voice to the experiences of formerly incarcerated students transitioning from a carceral environment to higher education. Through a generic qualitative approach, this study aims to fill gaps in the existing literature related to program effectiveness and experiences of Project Rebound students pursuing higher education post-incarceration.

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