26 Students Graduate from Community Re-Entry Program

Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

This Friday and Saturday, 26 former prison inmates will participate in modified graduation ceremonies to celebrate their accomplishments at the Day Reporting Center (DRC). The staff at the DRC scaled down their highly attended commencement proceedings in light of current COVID-19 social distance restrictions while still planning to host meaningful ceremonies honoring clients that have successfully completed the comprehensive re-entry program.

Participants signed up in advance for a graduation appointment at the DRC during which they will engage in a personal celebration with their families to receive their completion certificate, congratulatory letters from the community, and have their commemorative cap and gown photo taken. 

As in the previous ceremonies, Community Partner awards and special recognition awards including Client of the Year and Community Service will be presented. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, who normally serves as the Keynote Speaker, prepared a pre-recorded video message applauding the effort and accomplishments of the graduates to better their lives and wishing them well in their future endeavors.  

All of the graduates are former state prisoners who were referred to the DRC from their parole agents and participate voluntarily. Clients work with case managers and employment specialists to set specific vocational, educational, and personal goals to help them make positive changes in their lives.  The range of topics include, but are not limited to, substance abuse treatment, cognitive behavioral intervention, employment services, career planning, school counseling, transitional housing support and service opportunities. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Community Solutions, Inc. opened the Day Reporting Centers in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara in 2010. To learn more about the Day Reporting Center, visit CSI-online.org.