See the provocative new film Reintegration: A Documentary about Parolees.
THE REINTEGRATION ACADEMY
The Reintegration Academy brought twenty 18-25 year old male nonviolent and non-sex offenders to Cal Poly Pomona's campus for 10 weeks during the Spring Quarter 2009. The parolees were screened by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Region III. The program participants were immersed in academic, life skills, and personal development modules during the 10-week period. In the eighth week of the academy the participants were registered into Mt. Sac Community College. During the ninth week, the program hosted a mini-job fair for the participants. Ten local businesses attended this job fair. They interviewed the participants and were poised to hire these young men. At the program's graduation banquet, each participant received a new laptop computer to begin a new phase of their life. This program was sponsored by a generous grant from Pomona Transcendence Children and Family Services and Leeba Lessin. In February of 2010, U.S. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (CA-38th District) and her Washington D.C. staff came to Cal Poly Pomona to hear a presentation about the Reintegration Academy. A diverse group of community leaders and program participants participated in this presentation. The Congresswoman pledged her full support for this program.
Reintegration Academy 2012 Cohort
Reintegration Academy 2009 Cohort
Erick Guzman, talks about the obstacles he had to overcome as a youth and the impact the Reintegration Academy has had on his future outlook.
John Orozco and Alvaro Enriquez, two Reintegration Academy graduates discuss their troubled youth, prison life, and their plans to transform their lives.
Dezzie Prewitt, gives an inspirational talk to the Reintegration Academy group. Prewitt successfully navigated the dangerous streets of South Los Angeles and earned a degree in Economics from USC and a Master's degree in Economics from Cal Poly Pomona--later becoming an economist for the U.S. Department of Labor. He is now a community college lecturer in Economics..
Ricshawn Moore, a Reintegration Academy participant, discusses surviving the violent streets of Compton, CA and how he is determined to change his life.
Prison Race is a series of provocative interviews examining recidivism, rehabilitation, and reintegration.