Incarceration to College
The first step is always at the bottom…
STUDENTS
You are capable of graduating college. We want to help you get you through college because we need your help. Students apply below.
Program Overview
Incarceration to College is our newest recruitment program developed to create sustainable youth justice and is led by one of our current alumna leaders, Shani Shay. Incarceration to College (ITC) is an A-G verified Career Training Education college readiness course designed to be taught inside juvenile facilities and alllow students to earn CTE credits towrds graduation. ITC usess multicultural material, culturally relevant instructors, Black Feminist Pedagogies, socio-critical disccussion, and increased access to college readiness to effectively enhance the educational aspirations of incarcerated youth.
Stage 1: We offer weekly course to all incarcerated youth in the facility regardless of age or status in language, gender, sentencing, housing, or education. The course covers nine areas in sequential order: Assessment and Degree Programs; College Explorations; Organizations, Clubs and Sports programs; Application and Personal Statements; Scholarships and Grants; Financial Aid Protocols; Resources Guide; Student Go-Home Plan; and Graduation.
Stage 2: Completion of the course
Students who complete the course receive a ‘College Readiness’ certificate, up to eight CTE credits, and are encouraged to become incorpaorated into ITC.
Stage 3: Incorporate the student
Students can choose to be incorporated into the program and receive support and resources until the student is successfully admitted into college. We will then connect the student with appropriate faculty and resources to optimize educational success.
Stage 4: ITC Leaders
Graduates return to Incarceration to College as Alumni and help students understand the structures and behavoirs for becoming academically successful (Stages 1-3).
“As institutions with the power to hold minors in detention, it is within our scope of responsibility to prepare them for collegiate establishments.”
-Shani Shay
Current Locations: Contra Costa County Hall, Alameda County Juvenile Hall, and San Francisco County Juvenile Hall
Contra Costa County- Martinez Juvenile Hall
Years in Service: 3
Year to Date Unduplicated students served: 221
Students served in 2023: 88
Programs offered: Incarceration to College, Writers Room Literacy Project, and Coding Gang
Students Enrolled in college Academic Year 2023: 18
Students earning CTE credits through ITC curriculum: 46
SecureTrac Students served: 11
Female students served : 35
Male Students served: 186
Non-Binary students served: Unknown
Martinez juvenile hall is the site where ITC was piloted. The program has flourished and since
ITC was piloted there has been a 50% increase in college enrollment. Students at Martinez
juvenile hall will begin their second cohort of the Coding Gang in January 2023 with outside
partnership with Stanford University, Pipe Dreamers, and Reddit. Student will also begin their
second cohort of the Writers Room Literacy project in January with the partnership of the San
Francisco Poet Laureate, Tongo Eisin-Martin and novelist Shaka Senghoir ITC works in
partnership with The Contra Costa Office of Education to provide college readiness credit
bearing classes through the ITC Program.
Alameda Juvenile Hall
Years in Service: 2
Year to Date Unduplicated students served: 164
Students served in 2023: 104
Programs offered: Incarceration to College
Students Enrolled in college Academic Year 2023: 12
Students earning CTE credits through ITC program: 47
SecureTrac Students served: 34
Female students served: 28
Male Students served: 140
Non-Binary students served: 1
Alameda Juvenile Hall incorporated ITC in January 2021 in the SEEP unit to support high
school graduates. In January 2022 ITC was implemented in the Secure Tract Unit. ITC works in
partnership with Laney’s Restoring Our Communities to support community college students
with in person and online classes and The Alameda Office of Education to provide college
readiness credit bearing classes through the ITC Program.
San Francisco Juvenile Hall
Years in Service: 1
Year to Date Unduplicated students served: 27
Students served in 2022: 27
Programs offered: Incarceration to College
Students Enrolled in college Academic Year: 3
Students earning CTE credits through ITC curriculum: 12
SecureTrac Students served: 4
Female Students served: 6
Male Students served: 21
Non-Binary Students served: unknown
San Francisco Juvenile Hall incorporated ITC in June 2022 in the high school classroom and as a
one-on-one support for high school graduates. ITC works in partnership with SF City Colleges
New Directions and the San Francisco Office of Education to support previously incarcerated
students.
12 Week ITC Curriculums
Coding Gang
In Partnership with Pipe Dreamers and Stanford University’s Code in Place
Coding Gang uses Stanford’s introductory computer science curriculum (CS 106A) and the Code in Place instruction methodology to teach youth the basics of Python programming and design in hopes to develop skill sets that provide alternative pathways to criminal poverty crimes. This program utilizes curriculum adapted by previously incarcerated professionals and educators dedicated to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline to facilitate post release plans and aid youth in the development of valuable tech skills. Youth will have access to Stanford's CS curriculum, mentors, and trauma-informed program methods in an effort to create synergy between youths’ goals, behaviors, and access to resources.
Our first Coding Gang course at Contra Costa Juvenile Hall from February - April 2022 was directed by Shani Shay, the founder of Incarceration to College, and taught by Reuben Buckley (Stanford Code in Place alumni and formerly incarcerated tech professional), Michael Buckley (ethical hacker and coding educator), Patricia Wei (Stanford Code in Place Head Teaching Assistant and section leader for Stanford’s intro CS program), and Jodi Anderson Jr. (Stanford MA and BA graduate and formerly incarcerated tech professional & entrepreneur). Prior to the course, Shani Shay and Patricia Wei worked closely together to ensure that the curriculum adapted from Stanford Code in Place would be culturally relevant to the youth and applicable to their lives.
After the 10-week course, 85% of the youth said they wanted to work in tech and that they saw a future for themselves in the tech industry, which was a 55% increase from the beginning of the program. Several youth are now enrolled in computer science courses at community colleges while in custody because of their exposure to tech during the Coding Gang Program. Youth also expressed continued interest and wanted to be part of more tech-related programs or work in tech. Due to high demand, the Coding Gang Program will also be expanding to Alameda County, San Francisco County, and Contra Costa Juvenile Hall.
Following completion of the course, in collaboration with PipeDreamers, students were provided follow-up mentorship opportunities with tech and industry professionals from Reddit, Meta, Quora, Google, and Stanford. Industry professionals have continued to support the youth throughout the summer with a series of in-person events and mentoring sessions.
Writers Room Literacy Project
In Partnership with the United Black Family Scholarship Fund
The United Black Family Scholarship Foundation is partnering with the Incarceration to College program, an in-custody college readiness program developed by black women, and to implement the Writers' Room Literacy Project for Youth in Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall.
There is a dire need for rehabilitative educational programs in our juvenile institutions. We believe that a creative writing program, coupled with scholarships for incarcerated youth in Contra Costa County, will have significant positive effects on youth mental health, jail culture, and literacy development.
Education, we know, has proven to reduce recidivism and contribute to the long term safety of communities. Our literacy program aims to develop the writing and communication skills of incarcerated youth so when they are released, they will have a working skill to combat the many disadvantages they face. Providing our incarcerated youth tools to voice their opinions and experiences through writing promotes insight, and offers an opportunity to connect with a healthy community of writers.
Moreover, this program will work as a healing mechanism for youth who suffer in silence while enduring the trauma of incarceration. Using storytelling, critical thinking, and creative or autobiographical writing to frame their experiences gives them a chance to come to terms with the traumas that they face every day, and share their thoughts and experiences with others.
DONORS
As ITC becomes the model program for building college readiness for juvenile detainees, the program will require adequate funding and resources. A list of basic funding needs follows.
Internet Access-Web address dedicated to ITC to provide internet access for juvenile youth; Kindle accounts; Khan Academy account
Chromebooks (Dedicated to ITC)
Program Coordination- Coordinator, Instructor, Mentors
Classroom Materials - Writing supplies (paper, pencils, highlighters, pens); reading materials (pocket portfolio folders, post-its); calculators
Publication/Marketing/Production costs- Photocopy/printing account; (or printing ink, paper, and collating budget); Mailing expenses
Graduation/Culminating Activities- Certificates, Printed programs; Mortar Boards, Photographs
COVID19 Supplies-masks, disinfectants, and thermometer
Payments/Stipends- Students, Instructors, Guest Speakers
Professional Development -Training, Consultation
Travel Stipend- Mileage payable at state rate
Acknowledge Community Support-Letters, Advertisement in Culminating Document
Underground Scholars Outreach and Recruitment Events
The students of Incarceration to College are asking for your support in providing justice impacted youth access to quality educational programs. There is a deficit of funding and research towards effective educational interventionist programs for juvenile offenders. Your donations will allow students of the Incarceration to College Program to reach their college dreams.
Incarceration to College is a college outreach program from the Underground Scholars Initiative for in-custody and out-of-custody youth. We provide a comprehensive program that assists high risk youth from the moment of interaction all the way through their college careers. Research suggests that although over 90% of juveniles want to obtain a college degree less than 10% will ever receive a college degree. These numbers are staggering and disheartening. As a previously incarcerated person I recognize that something must be done to bridge the educational aspirations of high risk youth to real life attainment of college degrees. As of 2024, we have impacted hundreds of incarcerated youth. With your support, we would like to continue to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by disrupting recidivism through access to higher education.Over the next five years the Incarceration to College will increase educational attainment and employability while decreasing incarceration rates for youth across the Bay Area by ensuring access to full service in-custody educational support services, in custody Pathways to College career technical education courses, and personalized re-entry services that divert youth from incarceration and into education and support throughout their educational careers.
Please join The Underground Scholars Initiative, The Mellon Foundation, The Crank Start Re-entry Foundation, and Berkeley Underground Scholars in our fight to restore the rights of justice impacted people.
MEdia, Articles and Blogs
Teaching Methods for Incarcerated Youth: Effectiveness of the Incarceration to
College Program by Shani Shay
Alameda County JJC’s Allocation of Educational Resources And Incarcerated Students
Academic Achievement by Alexis Wilson
The Founder of Incarceration to College (And Pathways to College too) by Shani Shay
Effective Teaching Methods for Incarcerated Youth by Shani Shay
STAFF
Student Staff, Interns, and Volunteers
2020 2021-2022 2023-2024
Dakota Fanning - Fall 2021 Michelle Perez Garcia Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 Manveen Kaur Anand- Fall 2023
Cory Riech Smith Fall- 2021 Ernest Turner - Fall 2023
Brandon Dale Fellows - Fall 2022 Alexis Wilson - Fall 2023 to Fall 2024
Joy Wyckoff - Spring 2024
Georgia Hand - Spring 2024
Kristina Mendez- Fall 2023
Anna Dubon - Spring 2024
Erica Villegas - Spring 2024
Latanya King - Fall 2023 to Spring 2024
Lily Angel - Fall 2023 to Spring 2024
Partners
Contra Costa County of Education
Alameda Office of Education
San Francisco Office of Education
Pipe Dreamers
Stanford’s Code in Place
Restoring Our Communities
New Directions
Open Gate
Contra Costa Public Defenders Office
San Francisco Public Defenders Office