The college correspondence classes offered at San Quentin will be limited this summer. The shortfall of classes is because Lassen and Palo Verde colleges are closed until the fall semester, Coastline will not have a summer session, and Prison University Project’s enrollment is capped until fall.
These colleges are a part of the Distance Learning program that provides correspondence courses to prisoners in coordination with the colleges’ teaching staff.
Access to higher education is becoming increasingly competitive. A serious student needs practical short- and long-term plans and goals, a thorough knowledge of available services, and a network of staff and resident scholar/collaborators to successfully navigate the prison college culture.
The privately operated Prison University Project offers prisoners an Associate of Arts degree. Prisoners can receive a Bachelor of Arts degree by completing correspondence courses offered by Ohio University. San Quentin educators are canvassing local Bay Area universities for broader access to B.A. programs.
Those seeking to earn higher education milestones with release dates prior to April 2013 must be currently enrolled, or have completed their courses by December 2012, in order to process and enjoy a reduced sentence.
College classes are typically worth three credit hours each, and successful completion of a class results in a three-week sentence reduction.
Enrollment in the San Quentin Volunteer Education Program offers students college preparatory classroom time for upcoming semesters. VEP coordinators serve as liaisons to the colleges.
Students and potential students may consult with the Distance Learning or VEP coordinators regarding their higher education goals for the remainder of the year. Contact the San Quentin VEP coordinators at the main Education Building, classroom one.
