The Reintegration Academy for parolees

The Reintegration Academy was founded in 2009. It was the first program of its kind in the United States to bring a group of parolees to a college campus for an extended period for academic programming. Since its inception, the Reintegration Academy has collaborated with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Division of Adult Parole Operations to host nine cohorts and served 251 parolees. Division of Adult Parole Operations assists in recruiting, screening, and giving participants referrals to the program. The program immerses 35 participants in Academic Orientation, Life Skills, and Career Development modules for eight weeks. The Reintegration Academy has an 85% success rate of enrolling participants in college and/or placing them in gainful employment. This article is a reflective essay that concisely discusses the genesis of the program, integrates a review of literature on the challenges in re-entry, the program’s anatomy, and the outcomes of the program.