Description
Project Rebound is a student success program for formerly incarcerated students in the California State University (CSU) System. First started at SF State in 1967, between 2016 and 2023 Project Rebound expanded to 18 other CSU campuses. Chico State’s Project Rebound started in August 2023. It offers academic and career support to Chico State students who have been incarcerated and also provides admission/transfer support to currently incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals who want to come to Chico State. Until this program started there were no services specifically focused on helping those who have been incarcerated attend Chico State.
How will donations be used?
We are planning to launch a housing program for previously incarcerated students. Any money donated will go to our housing program fund.
It costs $3200 to house four students for a month.
$800 will house one student for a month.
$27 will house one student for a day.
Support Project Rebound!
Project Rebound fills an important gap in student support at Chico State. Based on a 2022 report from the Prison Policy initiative, the North State has higher imprisonment rates than most of the state. Students who have been previously incarcerated face certain challenges that have a more significant impact on success than for students who have never been part of this demographic. As we are the only CSU that serves the majority of the North State area, we are uniquely positioned to help support those who have been incarcerated and are returning to society. Providing higher education support has been proven to reduce the risk of recidivism (return to prison or jail) by improving life opportunities and career success. Project Rebound provides wraparound services to our students to reduce barriers to academic success. We connect students to existing resources on and off campus, provide financial support, and facilitate social supports that help foster a sense of community.
Why are donations necessary?
Many of our students struggled with homelessness before and after incarceration and some still struggle with housing as Chico State students. Landlords are often unwilling to rent to students with conviction histories and/ or no credit history and university housing is not always available to older students with conviction histories. Our housing program will help ensure students who need a place to live will have one.
In addition to providing housing, your gift, even a gift of $1, helps counter the stigma that those who have been incarcerated are unworthy of a second chance in life and undeserving of equitable access to higher education.