Behind tall prison fences topped with coils of barbed wire, UC Riverside graduated nearly a dozen bachelor's degree students in a ceremony marked by hugs, tears, and hope.
The ceremony at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco began with 11 graduates in caps and gowns marching between rows of folding chairs set up on the prison's outdoor recreation yard. They took seats in the front row before an audience of family members, faculty, prison officials, and supporters, all of whom had passed background checks and entered through four guarded gates.
The gathering marked UC Riverside's first commencement held inside a prison and celebrated the success of LIFTED — Leveraging Inspiring Futures Through Educational Degrees — a program launched two years ago through the School of Education, with the leadership and participation of faculty across campus. Faculty teach classes inside the prison, allowing incarcerated students to earn a bachelor's degree in education, society, and human development.
Eleven incarcerated students received bachelor's degrees during the ceremony. Four additional LIFTED students who had been released earlier also completed their degrees on campus.
Several speakers said a UC education should be available to anyone qualified to earn one, regardless of their circumstances.
"We refuse the logic that any human being should ever be defined by the worst thing that they have ever done, or may have done," said founding co-director Farah Godrej, a professor of political science. "We believe in the possibility of change, and in the fact that people can grow and learn and develop toward a better version of themselves. Because if we didn't, we wouldn't be in the business of education."
The program would not succeed without the determination of its students, said Amos Lee, an assistant professor of education and also a LIFTED founding co-director.
"What you did is not ordinary," Lee said to the graduates. "The conditions under which you pursued this degree — the constraints on your time, your access, your circumstances — would have been reason enough for most people to defer, delay, or walk away entirely. But you did it."
Graduating student speaker Kunio "Kenji" Yanagida credited faculty members with helping students pursue not only college degrees, but also new ways of thinking about themselves and their futures.
"Education is a difficult task in prison," Yanagida said in a prepared speech. "We have limited internet access. Our faith is constantly tested. Yet some professors went the extra mile and used cognitive behavioral approaches that taught us coping skills, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga. We started treating each other with more respect and dignity. . .
"Many assume that prisoners will struggle academically, but the truth is that our journey inspires grit, hustle, and resilience. We created an opportunity through our struggle. Yes, we lost freedom, but we never lost freedom inside ourselves."
Yanagida then pointed to pink blossoms on crape myrtle trees growing beyond the prison fences.
"These flowers are out of season," he said. "Flowers bloom out of season when they are under stress. This hardship can bring beauty, showing that we can bloom — not despite our challenge, but because of our challenge."
LIFTED has received financial support from the UC Irvine LIFTED program, the ECMC Foundation, the Michelson 20MM Foundation, and many other grassroots donors.
