Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Public Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Michihiro Clark Sugata
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Josh Meisel
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Project Rebound, Reentry, Formerly incarcerated students
Subject Categories
Sociology
Abstract
The explosion of the prison population over the last 50 years has dramatically increased the number of people in the reentry process. Understanding the reentry process, and how students connected to Project Rebound experience reentry is crucial to developing prescriptive services that will support student success. The study used semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions. The questions focused on the time before release, immediately after release, and future goals. Interviews were coded line-by-line and themes were discovered using a modified Grounded Research approach. Results suggest being incarcerated and the reentry process comes with mixed emotions. Students felt anxious and afraid in the months, weeks and days before being released. Upon release there is excitement to reestablish relationships, which is followed by the reality of how challenging the reentry process will be. Housing and employment security were stressors. Students shared how being connected to Project Rebound helped them transition from the identity of a “felon” or “criminal” to a “college student.” Students also expressed a desire for Project Rebound to expand housing and employment support.
Citation Style
ASA
Recommended Citation
Peña, Eddie, "Our stories of coming home: project rebound student experiences at Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2307.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2307