For more than a century, California's approach to incarcerating people has gone mostly like this.

Incarcerate them. Sure, there has been some rehabilitation programs, but they've had spotty results.

But now there's a program that helps incarcerated folks not only develop skills, but also reimagine themselves.

As people who could have lives after serving long prison terms, as scholars,

the small young program gives them a way to earn something many of them have never dreamed

of getting. A bachelor's degree. I'm Gustavo Ariano. You're listening to The Times, Daily News

from the LA Times. It's Wednesday, December 1st, 2021. Today we're listening to the Times, Daily News from the LA Times.

It's Wednesday, December 1st, 2021.

Today we're going to talk about this new educational opportunity for those on the inside.

And life for them afterwards.

Thank you. I would like to introduce to you the very proud graduating class of 2021 from California State Prison in Lancaster. If we could give them a round of applause as they walk in.

This fall, LA Times reporter Colleen Shalby attended a college graduation,

but the setting wasn't a university campus.

It was a California state prison located in the

desert city of Lancaster and Los Angeles County. She was there to cover the inaugural graduating

class of a pioneering educational program run through Cal State, Los Angeles. Colleen, welcome to the

times. Hi, thank you for having me. So the ceremony, who was there? What was going on?

Well, first of all, it was exceptionally hot. We were sitting on the prison yard. There was a stage that was set up on the basketball court.

You know, the families, the friends that were in the crowd were basically fanning themselves with the program.

So that's kind of what the conditions were there. There were 25 graduates connected to the prison that made their way through the yard, that

were going to graduate that day.

And also there were the professors who were instrumental in this program.

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