The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Jail Programs Unit hosted an inaugural college fair at the Main Jail this week.
The fair took place on Monday where there were informational booths set up for incarcerated individuals about the wide range of student services and programs that are available.
The Sheriff’s Office staff participated along with faculty and administrators from Santa Barbara City College assisted with this fair.
Representatives from SBCC shared information on several programs.
“Women and men incarcerated in California state prisons and county jails encounter many barriers and obstacles to reentry," Noel Gomez, SBCC instructor and coordinator of the Rising Scholars Program said in a Sheriff's Office press release. "However, having access to higher education in prison, county jails, and on college campuses can help facilitate successful reentry."
Gomez added that at the college fair, staff and faculty were able to send a strong message to those in custody that the academic programs and student services at SBCC can foster and enable success for those currently incarcerated.
