How do I find an Associate Degree program?

If you’re currently incarcerated:

In a federal prison: Federal correctional facilities offer Associate degrees through the Occupational Education Program.[2857] Programs vary by facility, so check your Unit Team to find out what Associate degree programs are available in your facility.[2858]

In a California state prison: Currently, San Quentin State Prison is the only CDCR facility that offers an in-facility Associate degree program.[2859] If you are housed in any other facility, your only options may be Distance Education (see PG. 876 for more information) or correspondence courses (see PG. 878 for more information).

In a California county jail: Education programs vary greatly across county facilities. You will need to check with your facility’s education department to see if any Associate degree programs are offered. (Note: Because of the time commitment required by college degree programs, many county jail facilities, which generally house people only for limited periods of time, may not offer them. However, this may be changing as people who are sentenced under realignment find themselves serving more extended county jail sentences.)

If you’re formerly incarcerated:

    Research schools and programs at your local public library
    Visit an America’s Job Center of California (see PG. 838 for information on America’s Job Centers).
    Search for your local community college on the Internet:
    California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office at http://www.cccco.edu/.
    American Association of Community Colleges at http://www.aacc.nche.edu.
  1. 2857

    U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5353.01, OE Programs (Dec. 17, 2003) at 4, www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5353_001.pdf. Note: All federal correctional facilities are mandated to offer OE training, with these exceptions: metropolitan correctional centers, metropolitan/federal detention centers, the Federal Transportation Center, satellite camps, and the administrative maximum facility. U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, A Directory of Bureau of Prisons’ National Programs (May 21, 2014) p.6.

  2. 2858

    U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5353.01, OE Programs (Dec. 17, 2003).

  3. 2859

    About Us, Prison Univ. Project, http://www.prisonuniversityproject.org/about-usPUP reference.