On a visit last summer to the Central California Women’s Facility prison in Chowchilla, Bidhan Roy met an incarcerated woman who refused a chance at a parole hearing.
After more than 20 years of incarceration, she did not know if she could function outside of the prison walls. She told Roy that all her family members had died and the only people she knew on the outside were the gang members from her past. The idea of being released frightened her.
“She said, on paper I look ready. I’m not going to commit any crimes, but I don’t know anyone,” said Roy, director of Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative (PGI). “It really moved me to hear that someone was willing to stay in prison because she didn’t know what to do once she got out.”
The meeting inspired Roy to expand the scope of this year’s PGI Convening to address the issues facing the recently paroled and their families.
With the theme of “Community and Careers,” the 2nd annual convening will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at the University-Student Union Plaza and will feature a dozen workshops and events, and about 30 exhibitors that can assist with job searches and practical services such as tattoo removals.
Additionally, the event will offer a healing circle and an official campus tour to anyone interested in attending Cal State LA.
“We changed the convening from being an exhibit to being a very practical resource fair where our alumni every year, whenever they get out, can come and network with people,” Roy said. “We want to connect them with all the things they need to be successful. We also want them to feel part of the campus and know that they are welcome here.”
PGI was founded in 2016 as the first in-person bachelor’s degree completion program for incarcerated students in California. It has since graduated more than 50 students from the California State Prison, Los Angeles in Lancaster, including some who completed their degrees at Cal State LA after being paroled.
PGI also recently expanded to offer degrees at the California Institution for Women and the California Institution for Men, both in Chino. It is serving about 140 students at the three prisons this year.
A number of PGI alumni will be on hand at this year’s convening, including Allen Burnett, a member of PGI’s first graduating cohort in 2021. After his release, Burnett completed his master’s degree in communication in 2023 and founded The Prism Way, a community-based nonprofit focused on re-entry, behavioral health, and self-empowerment for justice-involved individuals.
“It’s important for alumni to come back and help people who have been paroled get a leg up and find opportunities,” Roy said. “They’re an incredible resource and inspiration. They obviously have the lived experience.”
The convening is also placing an emphasis on inviting the family members of PGI students.
“We want kids who might have thought college wasn’t for them to come to campus, and perhaps we can inspire them to be part of the future generation that will attend Cal State LA,” Roy said.
The convening coincides with Los Angeles County’s “Second Chance Month” in April and “Reentry Week” from April 22 to 27. Throughout the month, the county’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) has hosted resource fairs, meet-and-greets, and grand open ceremonies in all five supervisorial districts.
The JCOD will be among the exhibitors at Cal State LA’s convening, joining Homeboy Industries, California Community Colleges’ Rising Scholars Network, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilition, the Cal State LA Career Center, and dozens of other organizations.
For more information, including the schedule of workshops and events, visit the Annual PGI Convening: “Community and Careers” page
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
