Supporting Successful Reentry Conference

Feb 27
Reentry Conference

Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Time: 8 am-4:30 pm
Location: UC Riverside HUB

The inaugural Supporting Successful Reentry Conference is a collaboration between California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, University of California, Riverside, Riverside City College and California State University, San Bernardino. The objectives of the conference are to bring awareness to the complex barriers that carceral-impacted and system-impacted individuals face upon reentry within the Inland Empire region, the educational opportunities that are available to them, and the resources that are designed to support their success and development. Additionally, the conference will serve as a means to build partnerships among law enforcement, rehabilitative agencies, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations that will lead to strengthening network capacity, streamlining services, and promoting higher education. The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism in the Inland Empire and create a culture of care for those impacted by the justice system.

This one-day conference will feature leaders across the various systems of higher education, law enforcement and corrections, community-based organizations, and those with carceral experiences themselves. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to engage with leaders in the field, learn about data specific to the Inland Empire, as well as partake in conversations centered around reducing barriers for carceral-impacted and system-impacted individuals.

Featuring

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Annika Anderson

Dr. Annika AndersonDr. Annika Yvette Anderson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology who teaches classes on deviant behavior, criminology, reentry, and race and ethnic relations. She received her B.A. in Public Relations from Pennsylvania State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Washington State University. Since 2016, Dr. Anderson has served as the Executive Director of Project Rebound. Project Rebound is a campus-based reentry program that supports the higher education and successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals wishing to enroll and succeed at California State University, San Bernardino. Her research interests are developmental and life-course criminology, reentry, social stratification, and race and ethnic relations. She has presented her research at numerous conferences and has several publications on crime and reentry based on research conducted in San Bernardino.

Address from the UC Riverside Robert Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies

UCR CampusThe Center of Crime & Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary academic center housed within the UCR School of Public Policy dedicated to conducting rigorous empirical research on criminal justice issues in California and beyond. This includes applied and theoretical studies that help inform evidence-based practice by providing an objective basis for policy and program improvements. The Center aims to bridge the divide between scholarship and practice by connecting its research with state- and regional-criminal justice practitioners, community-based organizations, and policymakers through contracted work, public events, stakeholder convenings, and sustained community engagement.

Register Today

CONFERENCE AGENDA: 

Conference Registration and Breakfast – 8 - 9 am – HUB 302 

Welcome – 9 am – HUB 302
Mariam Lam, Ph.D. 
Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer 
University of California, Riverside 

General Session – 9:10 - 9:50am – HUB 302 
Sharon Oselin, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor and Director of the Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies 
University of California, Riverside 

General Session – 10 - 10:50am 
Building Relationships - Best Practices for Serving Recently Released Students – HUB 367 

Breakout Sessions – 11 - 11:50am 
The Informal Post-Release Barriers for Formerly Incarcerated Students – HUB 355 
Housing Needs of Formerly Incarcerated Students – HUB 367 

Lunch and Carceral-impacted Student Perspectives – 11:50 am - 1:20 pm – HUB 302 

Breakout Sessions – 1:30 - 2:20 pm 
Creating Systems of Support for Youth Reentry – HUB 355 
Importance of College Student Engagement – HUB 367 

General Session – 2:30 - 3:30 pm – HUB 302 
Keynote Address 
Annika Anderson, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor and Executive Director of Project Rebound 
California State University, San Bernardino 

Closing and Post-survey – 3:30-3:40 pm 

Resource Fair – 3:40pm - 4:30pm – HUB 302 

BREAKOUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS 

Breakout Sessions – 11 - 11:50 am

The Informal Post-Release Barriers for Formerly Incarcerated Students – HUB 355 
In this session, we will discuss the role of informal social barriers that can make formerly incarcerated students feel unwelcome on their college and university campuses. How can educators help create an inclusive environment that is responsive to the needs, comforts, and development of formerly incarcerated students? 

Housing Needs of Formerly Incarcerated Students – HUB 367 
The Inland Empire and desert region presents unique housing challenges for those who are formerly incarcerated. Starting Over, Inc. will share their insights, successes, and challenges they have found while providing housing services to those who have been recently released from jail or prison, are homeless, or are dealing with substance abuse. Additionally, graduate student Creiselda Terpoorten will share her research in and firsthand experiences with the limited housing options for those in the justice-impacted community. 


Breakout Sessions – 1:30 - 2:20 pm 

Creating Systems of Support for Youth Reentry – HUB 355 
This year California will initiate the final stages of youth realignment with the closure of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) also formerly known as California Youth Authority (CYA). As a result, the Office of Youth & Community Restoration was established in 2021 pursuant to SB 823, created within the Health & Human Services Agency, which solidifies a shift in California’s approach to youth who commit law violations from a correctional lens of punishment to a health based, developmentally appropriate, dated driven lens of treatment. This breakout session will highlight the mission, values, and goals of OYCR as they pertain to the educational health of youth involved in the justice system in California. It will also highlight the promising work being done locally through a partnership between Riverside City College and Riverside County Probation Department’s Pathways to Success (SB 823) program.  

Importance of College Student Engagement – HUB 367 
Research has shown that college students who are actively engaged in their classes and on-campus activities are more likely to be successful while in college and achieve higher graduation rates than those who are not active. Additionally higher education attainment reduces recidivism rates and connects students to potential careers that match their interests and passions. Then why can it be so challenging for our carceral- and system-impacted students to get involved at their colleges? Hear from a panel of college students who are meeting those challenges head-on, taking control of their futures, and finding success through student leadership. 

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