Court to College at Cerritos College to Enhance Educational Access for Non-Violent Offenders

Cerritos College received a $225,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to enhance its Court to College (C2C) program. C2C is a one-of-a-kind college and career bridge program for first-time nonviolent felony offenders aimed to reduce recidivism, substance abuse, and to increase educational attainment and employability.

Cerritos College partners with the L.A. County Department of Health Services Office of Diversion and Reentry, Norwalk Superior Courthouse and the L.A. County Department of Probation for this joint effort. The program has served nearly 90 students since its inception in 2015, and boasts an 81% success rate in reducing recidivism.

Cerritos College has a strong history of supporting educational opportunity for formerly incarcerated individuals. The College’s first program of this kind, called ACCESS First, was founded by retired Judge Peter Espinoza and former Cerritos College counselor Marcelino Saucedo in 2000.

C2C has assisted students on adult felony probation by providing wraparound academic support services, including individualized educational planning, dedicated faculty and staff to assist students, book and supply vouchers, early enrollment for classes, tuition, financial aid and scholarship assistance for those that qualify, and tutoring. With the new grant, the College will serve approximately 20 students each semester. The College will also offer leadership skills workshops, monthly counseling sessions, transfer assistance including campus visits, and employment support services.

A research study shows that education is the most cost efficient and effective means of reducing recidivism. It costs an average of about $81,000 per year to incarcerate an inmate in prison in California (Legislative Analyst’s Office data), while an average cost of community college is less than $5,000 per participant, according to the C2C program. The program saves California’s taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“The program is transformational in so many ways,” said Mark Gambala, counselor at Cerritos College that oversees C2C. “Some participants continue to pursue academic degrees and vocational certificates after they complete their conditions of probation, and some have even gone on to transfer to four-year universities, gotten jobs on campus, expunged their records, and even had family members attend classes at Cerritos College.” 

“We are proud of our C2C program that provides a second chance to qualified offenders so they can turn their lives around and become successful,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, president/superintendent at Cerritos College. “Our C2C will serve as a model for other California community colleges who are attempting to replicate this successful program.”