Purpose
Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative, in collaboration with the Center for Effective Teaching and Learning, has created a 9-week online, asynchronous program that prepares faculty to teach in the Prison B.A. Program.
A first-of-its-kind training, this course is designed to:
Align with the core principles of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.
Meet the goals of the “California Model,” Governor Gavin Newsom’s approach to prison reform focused on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.
Prepare faculty to support incarcerated students through teaching practices tailored to the needs and goals of this student population.
Our Approach
This training adopts evidence-based teaching frameworks that meet the needs of incarcerated students and align with the CDCR’s strategic plan:
To prepare incarcerated students for careers after prison, the course trains faculty to incorporate the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career-readiness framework into their teaching to help students build the career skills most valued by employers.
To establish a supportive environment for learning and self-improvement, the course introduces faculty to teaching techniques that enhance social belonging and personal development, such as re-authoring for reflection and growth.
Program Topics
The program includes six primary modules and two optional modules. Faculty who complete the six primary modules earn the certificate and become eligible to teach with the Prison Graduation Initiative.
This program also offers a Certificate with Distinction for participants who choose to complete the additional two elective modules to further advance their knowledge of college prison teaching. The Certificate with Distinction certifies you as going above and beyond to learn best practices for teaching in the college prison classroom.
The module topics include:
Program Modules
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Module 1 - The History of Prisons Reflect on teaching in a prison and review the structure and function of prisons in the US. |
| Module 2 - Career Readiness in Prison Education Design your class to enhance job preparedness and self-development. |
| Module 3 - Teaching Incarcerated Students Adopt student-centered techniques that meet the needs of incarcerated students. |
| Module 4 - Fostering Transformation through Re-authoring Incorporate re-authoring techniques to help students be the main character in their life story. |
| Module 5 - Design Group Work for Team Skills Build community and develop interpersonal skills through collaboration. |
| Module 6 - Educating with Care: Faculty Responsibilities Reflect on student-centered teaching that complies with CDCR requirements. |
| Module 7 - Giving Effective Feedback (elective) Teach professionalism through feedback and coaching. |
| Module 8 - Teaching Correctional Officers (elective) Revise individual and group assignments to further rehabilitative practices in a prison. |
Certificate In College Prison Teaching FAQs
Faculty who take the training will have the opportunity to:
- Contribute to the nationwide initiative for prison reform.
- Become certified to teach with Cal State LA's Prison Graduation Initiative.
- Hear directly from incarcerated students how their education is transformative.
- Gain a teaching skill set that can be applied to any classroom setting.
- Develop a teaching portfolio designed for a prison classroom setting.
- Build community among faculty invested in prison education.
Faculty must be approved to take this training and teach with Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Program. There are different requirements depending on the faculty member’s department:
Faculty who teach in one of the PGI degree granting majors (Communication Studies, Liberal Studies, and Rehabilitation Services) must be approved by their department and department Chair to teach a course that is part of the major’s roadmap to graduation.
Faculty who do not teach in one of the PGI degree granting majors can still be approved. They must be approved by the department Chair of the PGI major and by their home department and department Chair. They must teach a course that is approved as part of the PGI major’s roadmap to graduation.
Faculty interested in taking the Certificate in College Prison Teaching course should explore the Prison Graduation Initiative website to learn more about the program.
Contact
The Certificate in College Prison Teaching program runs from May through July of each year. Faculty interested in joining the program should contact the Prison Graduation Initiative.