March 25, 2022
The Hartnell College Rising Scholars program for incarcerated students marked a major milestone in December 2020 when Casey Brown became its first graduate, completing his associate degree in general studies at the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) near Soledad. Brown hopes to continue work on a bachelor’s degree in social welfare and ultimately pursue a doctorate in social policy, with the goal of becoming a teacher.
In a letter of thanks to Brenda Jones, college pathways coordinator for Rising Scholars,
he wrote, “I cannot tell you how immensely invaluable that is or how significantly
the Rising Scholars program changed my life.” Said Jones, “There are so many obstacles
that prevent an incarcerated student from obtaining a degree. But he did it, and he
did it under the circumstances of a global pandemic.” 
The pandemic did not stop Hartnell’s classes at CTF, Salinas Valley State Prison, Monterey County Jail or the Monterey County Youth Center. A switch to a correspondence course format, with printed materials delivered to and from students rather than face-to-face instruction, actually increased the number of students served – up to 800 in 25 course sections. They returned to an in-person mode for the Spring 2022 semester. Rising Scholars also provides on-campus support to formerly incarcerated students taking classes at Hartnell.
Students at the two prisons outside Soledad, who make up the majority of the total, can pursue associate degrees in sociology and psychology. Most take their studies very seriously, Jones said, doing their assigned reading and eagerly asking questions. In addition to college credits at no cost, they also receive two weeks off their sentences for course completion, as with other prison programs. The inmates appreciate stepping into the role of student, rather than inmate, Jones said. “These are guys who wouldn’t normally talk, and in the classroom they have the freedom to talk to people student to student,” she said.
To interest Hartnell instructors in teaching prison and jail courses, Jones takes them to see for themselves what the classes are like. “I say, ‘Let’s go for a tour and let’s go to the classroom,’ and it only takes 20 minutes and they’re hooked,” she said. “It’s not like any classroom they’ve ever been in.”