System-Impacted Students

Our primary goal is to provide support for formerly or currently incarcerated students through our Rising Scholars program. We understand that system-impacted can also be a person who has been legally, economically, or familiarly affected by the criminal justice system. Students with close relatives that have been incarcerated, or students that have been arrested and/or convicted without incarceration are eligible to receive support.

Mission

We are committed to empowering Panthers who are formerly or currently incarcerated or have been impacted by the criminal justice system by providing key resources to support them on their educational journey. We aim to maintain a supportive campus community dedicated to their educational and personal goals.

Our History

Chaffey College was one of the leading colleges in Southern California to begin a program within a prison-setting in 2004 at the California Institute for Women (CIW). In 2016, Chaffey expanded its program and began enrolling students at the California Institute for Men (CIM). By 2019, Chaffey had awarded students at CIW and CIM with more than 150 degrees and certificates, and these students have had a recidivism rate of nearly zero percent.

Rising Scholars Network

Chaffey College is a part of the California Community Colleges “Rising Scholars Network”, which is a group of community colleges dedicated to providing access to opportunity and academic achievement for students who have experienced the criminal justice system. Students who have experienced the criminal justice system can face significant barriers to academic and career success, and we aim to provide the support necessary for these students to accomplish their academic and career goals.