Over the past three years, the state has distributed about 30,000 laptops to incarcerated students. Nearly half went to the roughly 13,000 people enrolled in community college courses while in prison. The devices are increasingly replacing the long-used correspondence model, in which students completed paper assignments mailed back and forth between prisons and colleges.

The shift has opened a debate among incarcerated students, former students and faculty: Online classes can expand access and offer more timely feedback, but many say in-person instruction remains the most effective way to build confidence, relationships and academic skills.

For Richard Moye, 44, who has been incarcerated for 16 years and takes both online and in-person classes through Solano Community College at California Medical Facility in Vacaville, technology skills are now essential.

“The more we understand about today’s world, the better we’ll be equipped to get out into the workforce as things continue to change,” Moye said. “We don’t want to get left behind. Tech literacy is of the utmost importance behind prison walls.”

The expansion comes as California Community Colleges continues to grow its prison education program, known as Rising Scholars. In 2024, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended that the program make greater use of online classes to address a persistent problem: limited classroom space inside prisons.

Today, 104 of California’s 116 community colleges work with state prisons to offer classes or degree programs. Community college data show that more than 21,000 courses were offered in prisons during fall 2025. Twenty colleges provide in-person instruction, with faculty traveling to facilities to teach. The rest offer classes online or, less frequently than in the past, through mailed correspondence, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

State officials do not have a precise count of how many prison-based college courses are conducted online versus by mail. Colleges can use different data labels for correspondence-style classes, and the reporting is not consistent, the Chancellor’s Office said.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office also recommended that Rising Scholars give priority to students who are still working toward their first degree. In-person prison classes often have tight enrollment limits because of space restrictions, typically ranging from 18 to 40 students. At many colleges, enrollment is first-come, first-served, which can allow students pursuing second or third degrees to take seats from those who have not yet earned one, said Orlando Sanchez Zavala, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Sanchez Zavala said focusing access on first-time degree seekers could have the greatest effect on reducing recidivism.

State data suggest education in prison is closely tied to outcomes after release. Among people who earned an associate degree while incarcerated and were released in the 2018-19 fiscal year, 8.5% were convicted of a new crime within three years, according to the prison system’s recidivism report. That compares with a 41.9% conviction rate among all people released that year.

Expanding online and correspondence options could allow colleges to offer more sections with smaller caps, Sanchez Zavala said, giving more incarcerated people a chance to enroll.

Still, the barriers are substantial. Even where prisons have classrooms, those rooms are often shared with other programs, meetings or services. Classes sometimes must be held in gyms or dining halls.

Joseph Bruno Martinez, 40, said he had difficulty enrolling in college classes while incarcerated at high-security prisons, where lockdowns could disrupt the school schedule.

Garret Eiferman, 56, a formerly incarcerated student who is now a graduate student at Cal State Northridge, said correctional officers were not always willing or able to help students complete degrees. He said he had to build relationships with officers so he could use classrooms after 7 p.m. and, at times, persuade staff to allow classmates to leave their housing units to attend class.

Eiferman also described outdated textbooks — often with hard covers removed for safety reasons — little feedback on mailed coursework, and the challenge of balancing classes with prison jobs and required programs.

Although he did not take fully online classes while incarcerated, Eiferman said he understands why they may help students navigate obstacles that come with in-person instruction.

The laptops are intended to do more than deliver assignments. Students and instructors say they expose incarcerated people to digital tools that are routine in college and the workplace outside prison. Much coursework and grading now happens through Canvas, the online learning platform widely used by California’s higher education systems for assignments, submissions and communication between students and instructors.

Isela Ocegueda, vice president of instruction at Coastline College, teaches an online English course to incarcerated students. She said using Canvas can make the transition smoother for students who continue their education after release. Coastline, where about 80% of instruction is online, moved away from mail-based prison courses in 2023 and now describes its model as “Canvas-supported correspondence.”

Ocegueda said online tools allow instructors to design more engaging assignments and provide more meaningful feedback. In one English class, she opened the semester by asking students to write a journal entry introducing themselves and explaining how she could support them. For the final research paper, students can submit drafts and receive edits much faster than they could through mailed packets.

“Imagine just trying to receive essays in the mail and then make your corrections and then send them back,” Ocegueda said. “That was really hard to do in the mail version of correspondence. Canvas-supported correspondence allows more for that writing process to actually happen.”

But online instruction still runs into prison-specific limits. Wi-Fi access varies by facility, and students may wait up to a week for prison librarians to approve some reading materials.

Students at Pelican Bay State Prison in Del Norte County and the California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County have said they cannot access Canvas from their cells because of limited Wi-Fi. Students at Folsom State Prison and San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, by contrast, have said they can complete coursework from their cells because the signal is strong.

A state prison system spokesperson said incarcerated people have Wi-Fi access in housing units at all but four state prisons. All prisons have Wi-Fi in education areas and classrooms, though the strength of the connection can vary.

Some students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in prison have also reported continuing problems with internet access and research materials, including the inability to conduct basic online searches.

Ben Brookeshire, an English professor at Solano College, said one of his biggest challenges is the delay students face in accessing what he called the “information space.” Some documents students need from digital research libraries must first be approved by prison librarians.

Even with the growth of online education, many students and instructors say face-to-face learning remains vital.

Eiferman completed most of his prison coursework through correspondence classes from Palo Verde and Coastline colleges between 2009 and 2019. While incarcerated, he earned an associate of arts degree, an associate of science degree and a business certificate. He was also pursuing a U.S. history degree when he was paroled in 2020.

“The bulk of my interaction with professors during the degree completion was very minimal,” he said. “It’s distance learning, so that means it’s all done with an envelope and a stamp, and feedback was never a thing.”

That made the transition to university difficult, he said, because he discovered gaps in what he had learned and areas where he needed to relearn material more fully.

Eiferman took his first in-person college course through Bakersfield College at Golden State Community Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The class was math, a subject he had long struggled with. But in the classroom, he said, he experienced breakthroughs and was able to help other students.

Moye said in-person classes help students better understand instructors’ expectations and offer a level of interaction that online courses cannot fully replicate, including peer support, tutoring, group discussion and collaboration.

Community college system data show that in spring 2025, incarcerated students had a 77% success rate in internet-based and correspondence courses, compared with 85% in in-person courses. Success means earning a C or higher, or a passing mark in courses that are not letter-graded. Incarcerated students in in-person classes also had a success rate 10 percentage points higher than community college students overall.

“I’m a fan of in-person learning,” Moye said. “That’s my favorite style of learning, because to me, it resembles most what’s going on in society. If we’re trying to prepare incarcerated men and women for society, we have to have it look as much like society as possible.”

Brookeshire said he understands online courses are likely to keep expanding, but he continues to teach only in person because of the connection it allows him to build with students.

“I really believe there’s magic in a classroom,” he said. “I really believe that face-to-face instruction is irreplaceable.”

Original source: CalMatters

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Over the past three years, the state prison system has spent $23.2 million to provide 30,000 laptops to incarcerated students. Nearly half of those devices went to about 13,000 people enrolled in California community college courses while in prison.

The effort is helping move prison education away from the long-standing correspondence model, in which students received paper packets, completed assignments by hand and mailed work back to instructors. While some colleges still use mail-based courses, online instruction is becoming more common as laptops reach more students.

Supporters say the technology gives incarcerated students more timely access to assignments, feedback and instructors, while also building computer skills needed for jobs after release. Others caution that online courses cannot fully replace the value of in-person teaching, where students can interact directly with faculty and classmates.

Richard Moye, 44, an incarcerated student who has been in prison for 16 years, said technology skills are essential for people preparing to return to the workforce.

“The more we understand about today’s world, the better we’ll be equipped to get out into the workforce as things continue to change,” Moye said. “We don’t want to get left behind. … Tech literacy is of the utmost importance behind prison walls.”

The expansion of prison-based online learning follows a 2024 recommendation from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office, which urged improvements to Rising Scholars, the California Community Colleges program that serves incarcerated students. The office pointed to limited classroom space in prisons and suggested that more online courses could help colleges reach additional students. It also recommended giving priority to students working toward their first degree, rather than allowing people seeking second or third degrees to take limited seats.

Of California’s 116 community colleges, 104 now partner with prisons to offer courses or degree programs. Community college data show more than 21,000 courses were held in prisons during fall 2025. Twenty colleges offered in-person instruction, with faculty traveling to prisons to teach. The rest provided classes online or through correspondence, though mail-based courses are becoming less common, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

The system does not have a precise count of how many incarcerated students are taking online classes compared with traditional correspondence courses. Colleges may use different reporting labels for those courses, making statewide tracking inconsistent, the Chancellor’s Office said.

In-person prison classes face practical limits. Classroom space is often scarce because prison classrooms are also used for other programs and meetings. At times, classes are held in gyms or dining areas. Enrollment in a typical in-person course can range from 18 to 40 students, and many colleges enroll students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Orlando Sanchez Zavala, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said that can mean students already holding degrees may take seats from those still pursuing their first college credential. Prioritizing first-degree students, he said, could have the greatest effect on reducing recidivism.

Earning a degree in prison can expand job prospects after release and help people reintegrate. According to a state prison recidivism report, incarcerated people who earned an associate degree during the 2018-19 fiscal year had an 8.5% conviction rate in the three years after release. The overall conviction rate for people released that year was 41.9%.

For students, the path to a degree can be difficult regardless of course format.

Joseph Bruno Martinez, 40, said he had trouble getting into classes while housed at high-security prisons, where lockdowns could interrupt instruction across an entire institution.

Garret Eiferman, 56, who was formerly incarcerated and is now a graduate student at Cal State Northridge, said correctional officers were not always willing or able to support students trying to complete coursework. He said he had to build relationships with officers to gain access to classrooms after 7 p.m. and sometimes had to persuade staff to let classmates leave their housing units to attend class.

Eiferman said he also dealt with outdated textbooks, some with hard covers removed for safety reasons, little feedback on correspondence assignments, and the challenge of balancing school with prison work and other required programs. Although he did not take online-only courses while incarcerated, he said he understands why laptops could help students facing similar obstacles.

For Moye, who takes both online and in-person classes through Solano Community College at California Medical Facility in Vacaville, online coursework is valuable because it brings prison education closer to how colleges operate outside prison walls. Many students and instructors now use Canvas, the learning management system common across California’s higher education systems, to submit assignments, receive grades and communicate.

Isela Ocegueda, vice president of instruction at Coastline College, teaches online English to incarcerated students. She said using Canvas can make it easier for students to continue their education after release because they are already familiar with the same platform used on many campuses. At Coastline, about 80% of instruction is online.

Until 2023, Coastline taught prison courses through mail correspondence. The college now describes its model as “Canvas-supported correspondence.”

Ocegueda said the online format allows for more detailed feedback and more creative assignments. In one English course, she began the semester by asking students to write a journal entry introducing themselves and explaining how she could support them. For the final research paper, students can submit multiple drafts and receive edits much faster than through the mail.

“Imagine just trying to receive essays in the mail and then make your corrections and then send them back,” Ocegueda said. “That was really hard to do in the mail version of correspondence. … Canvas-supported correspondence allows more for that writing process to actually happen.”

Still, online learning in prison remains uneven. Wi-Fi access differs by facility, and incarcerated students may wait days for certain reading materials or research documents to be approved by prison librarians.

Students at Pelican Bay State Prison in Del Norte County and California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County have said they cannot access Canvas from their cells because of limited Wi-Fi. Students at Folsom State Prison and San Quentin Rehabilitation Center have reported stronger connections that allow them to complete coursework from their housing units.

A spokesperson for the state prison system said incarcerated people have Wi-Fi access in housing units at all but four California prisons. All prisons have Wi-Fi in education areas and classrooms, though the quality of the signal may vary.

Some incarcerated students pursuing bachelor’s degrees have also reported difficulty accessing research materials online and said they wished they could conduct basic internet searches for academic work.

Ben Brookeshire, an English professor at Solano College, said one of his biggest challenges is the lag time students face when trying to access digital research materials. Some documents available through research databases must first be reviewed by prison librarians before students can use them.

Despite the rise of online learning, many students and faculty continue to value in-person instruction.

Eiferman completed most of his prison coursework by mail through Palo Verde College and Coastline College between 2009 and 2019. During his incarceration, he earned an associate degree in arts, an associate degree in science and a business certificate. He was also working toward a U.S. history degree when he was paroled in 2020.

He said his interaction with professors during correspondence courses was limited, and detailed feedback was rare. That made the transition to university coursework more difficult after his release.

His first in-person college class came through Bakersfield College at Golden State Community Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The course was math, a subject he had long struggled with, but Eiferman said the classroom setting helped concepts click. He also found himself encouraging and helping other students stay enrolled.

Moye said in-person courses give students a clearer understanding of what instructors expect and allow for peer support, group work, tutoring and discussion.

Community college data show incarcerated students had a 77% success rate in internet-based and correspondence courses in spring 2025, compared with an 85% success rate in in-person classes. Success is defined as earning a C or better, or passing a course graded on a pass-fail basis. In in-person courses, incarcerated students performed 10 percentage points better than community college students overall.

“I’m a fan of in-person learning,” Moye said. “That’s my favorite style of learning, because to me, it resembles most what’s going on in society. If we’re trying to prepare incarcerated men and women for society, we have to have it look as much like society as possible.”

Brookeshire said he recognizes that online prison education will continue to grow, but he chooses to teach in person because he believes it is the best way to connect with students.

“I’m very passionate,” he said. “I really believe there’s magic in a classroom, and I really believe that face-to-face instruction is irreplaceable.”

Original source: CalMatters

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Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) provided students with computers and hot spots and donated high-demand items to hospitals as the college moved to open as an online institution on Monday, April 6, following a three-week break in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSJC packaged the first phase of 50 Chromebooks and hot spots and sent them via overnight mail to students so they could continue with their courses online.

The MSJC Foundation ordered about 200 additional Google Chromebook laptops for more students as the college transitions 99 percent of its spring semester classes online. Students recently took the MSJC Technology Needs Assessment Survey to help the college identify how to best help students succeed online and deliver the technology to students who had the greatest need for the technology.

“MSJC took a data-informed approach so we could deliver technology directly to those students who were most in need of access to a computer or the Internet,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, MSJC Superintendent/President. “We want them to stay at home, and healthy, but we want them to succeed online and complete their educational journeys. We understand not every student has access to computers and other technology when they’re away from our campuses. We’re glad we could help and we plan to help even more.”

The devices are on loan through the MSJC library tracking system and students must return them by June 1. The loan may be extended for those students who continue with online instruction through the summer semester. The college district, which has a robust Allied Health program, also donated gurneys, N95 masks, non-N95 masks, nitrile gloves and other equipment that are in high-demand to protect medical professionals as the COVID-19 crisis grows. “We were honored to be able to help our medical partners at Riverside Community hospital and have offered to help other local hospitals who indicated they had a need for these types of items,” said Joyce Johnson, MSJC’s Executive Dean of Instruction and a registered nurse. “The school closures mean our students cannot use this equipment at this time.

We wanted to make sure we did our part to help protect medical professionals and patients alike during this pandemic. Once we are able to reopen, there will be funding available to replace the equipment for our students.” Perris Union High School District contributed to the Chromebook loan effort with a generous donation of more than 50 recently retired Chromebooks to MSJC to help its students. “The Perris Union High School District is pleased that we were able to help out some MSJC students that may not have been prepared for the sudden move to distance learning due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Joseph Williams, Executive Director of Technology for the high school district.

“During this public health crisis, we hope these devices will not only allow MSJC students to access their coursework, but also serve as a vital link to the outside world during the stay-at-home order. PUHSD values our partnership and friendship with MSJC and we are pleased that we could join together to support students in need.” On Monday, MSJC resumed its spring semester online. Forty percent of MSJC students were already in at least one online class and nearly 17 percent were in a hybrid class, which is part online and part face-to-face.

Those students succeed at almost the same rate as their peers enrolled in face-to-face classes. MSJC can be followed on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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