Lake Tahoe Community College graduates eight incarcerated students in forestry

Eight incarcerated students at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) graduated with an Associate of Science degree in forestry for the first time in state history, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said on Monday. 

The students earned forestry certificates through the LTCC Rising Scholars Program, which serves incarcerated students in California's correctional facilities and operates in partnership with CDCR and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). Students in the program completed hands-on training and academic coursework while serving the remainder of their sentences as a hand crew member at a conservation camp. 

"The Sierra Conservation Center and LTCC's Rising Scholars Program demonstrate the power of workforce training and education in rehabilitation, providing pathways to career opportunities, successful reentry and public service," Joshua Prudehel, warden at Sierra Conservation Center, said in a statement.

The Public Policy Institute of California reveals that people who participated in college courses while at CDCR are 31% more likely to secure jobs after release. In addition, a 2024 CDCR report finds that people who spent a year or longer in a fire camp have lower recidivism rates compared to fire camp-eligible individuals who did not participate in fire camps.

California Rep. Kevin Kiley, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, and Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick celebrated the graduates by providing Certificates of Recognition to each student.