Today, 15 incarcerated students at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology through the University of California, Irvine. This BA program is the second round of graduates to earn a degree through the historic collaboration between the California Department of Corrections and the University of California. “LIFTED graduations celebrate both the accomplishments of our fantastic students – nearly half graduated with Latin honors – and of our state institutions. University of California, Irvine, is the first top-ten public university in the United States to admit, matriculate, and graduate students with a bachelor’s degree from within prison,” says Keramet Reiter, UC Irvine professor of criminology, law and society and director of UCI LIFTED.

For the full story, please visit https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2025/06/18/15-incarcerated-students-graduate-from-historic-partnership-with-university-of-california/.