Minor in Prison Reentry Studies

The minor in Prison Reentry Studies is a multidisciplinary program of study focused on the transition of individuals from incarceration to general society (reentry).  It gives students (1) a good general sense of the incarceration crisis of the 1990s and subsequent reentry surge in the 2010s (called the "realignment" crisis in California); (2) knowledge of a broad array of community-based organizations, government agencies, and individual scholars working on issues of reentry; and (3) experience working with a reentry entity of their choosing.  

When an incarcerated individual leaves incarceration, they “reenter” society.  That reentry is a complex process for the individual, the community they came from, and the broader society in which they exist.  In this minor, students will explore this complex process and learn about various ways organizations and individuals in the Bay Area are working to improve it.  All students will intern with one of these organizations or individuals to gain practical experience with the complexities of reentry.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate the complex relationship between incarceration and reentry at both a highly abstract level and as it exists in California society and communities today.
2. Understand the varied ways in which reentry takes place.
3. Experientially learn about at least one way in which reentry takes place though work with a community-based organization or scholar.