Santa Maria, Calif. – The Sheriff’s Office Programs Unit, in partnership with Allan Hancock College, celebrated 27 incarcerated students who successfully completed college courses at the Northern Branch Jail (NBJ). Included in the honorees are 12 students who completed HUSV 103: Basic Counseling Skills, 10 students who completed Econ 130: Consumer and Family Finance, and 5 students who completed Bus 303: Sales and Marketing. The Programs Unit is especially proud to honor one incarcerated student who successfully complete a certificate program in Addiction Studies Foundation.

Allan Hancock College offers a rotating and extensive catalog of courses at the NBJ campus, while Santa Barbara City College does the same for the Main Jail. Courses at the NBJ began in March of this year and since then, over 19 college courses have been presented to over 150 incarcerated students. The education provided through these courses is coordinated through our Programs Unit and helps inmates achieve can-do attitudes, sobriety, confidence, employment viability, productivity, civic responsibility, and other positive achievements that provide a sense of self-worth and pride for them and for their families.

Sheriff Bill Brown said, “The Sheriff’s Office and Allan Hancock College have proudly partnered to offer a wide variety of educational classes in the Northern Branch Jail that provide inmates with opportunities for personal and professional growth, meaningful employment, and a successful return to the community. When this happens, lives are revitalized, recidivism is reduced, and our communities are made safer.”