This story was first published on Humboldt Now:
A few years ago, the idea of working at a law firm or earning a 4.0 GPA seemed out of reach for incarcerated individuals at Pelican Bay State Prison. But today, that’s not just possible, it’s a reality.
Since launching in spring 2024, the Pelican Bay Bachelor of Arts in Communication has already begun to show its impact. The program—created in partnership with College of the Redwoods and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation—is one of the first in the state to offer in-person classes in a high-security prison. It is also one of the first in the nation to receive Pell grant eligibility under recent federal policy.
Among the 27 scholars currently enrolled, nearly a quarter have earned 4.0 GPAs. Seventeen have been inducted into the National Communication Association’s Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, which recognizes students who maintain a 3.25 GPA or higher. Others have become eligible for release.
In just one academic year, scholars are building careers, communities, and futures.
Scholar Alex Benson was released from Pelican Bay in April 2025. He will continue his studies through San Diego State, and plans to pursue a Master of Social Work. The BA program played a direct role in his successful release, he says.
“It helped open my mind, focus, and make plans. It gave me optimism for the future. I don't have to stay on the same road I've been on. I have a future now. I’m not going to be stuck in a rut. I have plans, and goals. Success is attainable for me.”
After enrolling in the Pelican Bay BA program, Javier De La Torre was approved for early transfer into a re-entry home ahead of schedule. He also credits the program for helping to make that possible.
“Education has opened a whole new world for me,” he says.
De La Torre now lives in Los Angeles, where he attends the BA program online and works full-time as a legal assistant at a law firm—his first job. He helps attorneys file legal documents, motions, and more. He travels several hours by bus each way to work every day, returning to the transition home at night. Sometimes he volunteers at pro-bono legal clinics on the weekends. He is on track to graduate in spring 2026, and plans to pursue a career in immigration law.
The wraparound support provided through Cal Poly Humboldt was instrumental in preparing him for the opportunity. “It's helped me in every way,” he adds. “I had no interview experience; Humboldt gave me that. They did a career workshop for us. They helped us with our resumes and did mock interviews. Things like that helped because some of us never had a job before.”
Career development is a growing part of the program’s mission. Scholars receive advising from the University’s Career Development Center, resume and cover letter support, mock interviews, and job announcements. They also work directly with Project Rebound and the Transformative & Restorative Education Center team to connect with employers for re-entry support and more.
Students also engage in Zoom debates with other incarcerated scholars and the University’s own debate team. Topics range from AI to wind energy—all are available on YouTube. The program welcomed guests like Humboldt County Supervisor Natalie Arroyo to moderate debates, and individuals from local organizations like The Ink People and the Department of Health to talk with students about career paths.
The mentorship they receive from the teams at Humboldt, including their professors, are foundational.
“It makes you feel like somebody cares,” says De La Torre. “When you feel like you're part of a community that's doing good, and that's oriented towards the same goals, it's wonderful.”
The scholars also motivate each other, explains Roberto Mónico, Critical Race, Gender & Sexualities Studies professor who’s taught two courses in the program. “The students are constantly growing and learning more about themselves and how they relate to each other [...]. It is a cohort of students that engages in uplifting each other, similar to peer support on the Arcata campus. That is, I believe, because they have been through so much together.”
The scholars’ success, says Communication Instructor Ross Mackinney, is the result of extraordinary drive and focus.
“The level of engagement from Pelican Bay scholars is exceptional,” says Mackinney, who also teaches courses in the Pelican Bay program. “I believe the motivation is because it takes exceptional students to overcome the limitations prisoners face. There are the obvious physical limitations as well as limits on access to materials and internet, not to mention that all of these individuals are first-generation college students and never expected to be in a college classroom.”
For many, Mackinney adds, joining the program is a huge leap from the norms of mainstream prison life. “They are motivated to transform their inner lives and to gain the tools to find better ways to live and to contribute to society.”