Six students at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville, the women’s prison made history with the first cohort to complete the Level I Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Certificate through Rio Salado College’s Second Chance Pell Online Laptop Pilot Program in December 2024. This milestone marked a significant shift from traditional correspondence courses to online learning using laptops, offering incarcerated students a modern and effective way to access education.
Rio Salado College began its Incarcerated Reentry Education programs (IRE) in 1983, offering incarcerated students a chance at developing skills and knowledge through distance learning and in-person classes that will prepare them to re-enter the workforce.
The Second Chance Pell pilot, which will soon transition to the Prison Education Program, introduced laptops to bring coursework into the correctional facility. The program faced early challenges, particularly with internet connectivity, but the determination and focus of the students ensured its success.
"This first group persevered through the obstacles, showing remarkable dedication to their education,” said Lisa Preston, program director of Rio Salado’s Incarcerated Reentry Education program.
A Milestone of Perseverance and Success
The pilot program began with eight students, and six successfully completed the certificate. Their achievement was recognized during a ceremony held in mid December at Perryville. The students were joined by Maricopa Community Colleges Board Member Dr. Tom Nerini, Rio Salado President Kate Smith, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Board Member Sherri Thomas, ADCRR Education Administrator Abisogun Kokumo, and other college leadership.
Smith highlighted the significance of this milestone and the importance of providing access to education for all students.
“We remain deeply committed to addressing the needs of this community,” Smith said. “Over the past several years, we have consistently heard from our released scholars that access to technology is one of the most significant barriers they encounter when seeking employment opportunities. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, we understood that in addition to providing course content—we needed to ensure they had the digital literacy tools necessary for success. And so, our commitment to this pilot initiative was born, with the goal of providing vital access to technology that will empower our scholars to thrive in their careers.”
The success of the first group set the stage for future cohorts, including those from the group who want to continue with Level II Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Certificate.
Support and Framework
Construction of an internet fiber optics network in spring 2023 laid the groundwork for the program. JPMorganChase Foundation provided financial support to course development. Eligible students applied for Second Chance Pell Grants, a program recently extended for Rio Salado students by the federal government, which they used to fund their tuition and school fees.
In April, Governor Katie Hobbs made history by signing an Executive Order that brings Arizona into the national Reentry 2030 initiative—a powerful commitment to breaking the cycle of recidivism. Rio Salado College partners with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADCRR) to offer distance learning print-based correspondence courses, as well as this new laptop program at Perryville, to eligible incarcerated students at select facilities. Rio Salado has served justice-involved learners since 1986.
Reentry 2030 is bringing together leaders from across the country—spanning state agency leaders in sectors including justice, workforce, health, and housing—around a bold goal: successful reintegration for every person.
See highlights from the ceremony in this video created by ADCRR.