Career Building Among Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates

Abstract

The California State University (CSU) Project Rebound is a re-entry program that provides educational, social, financial, and case management to formerly incarcerated college students with the goal of helping them become successful post-incarceration and post-graduation. This exploratory study examines successful career-building strategies reported by formerly incarcerated college graduates (FICG) who participated in a CSU-sponsored re-entry program. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 alumni of a specific Project Rebound program (N = 13). Results from thematic analysis revealed five major themes depicting the post-graduation employment trajectory of FICG, the challenges that are unique to FICG, and strategies for improving career success among this population. Implications of the findings for theory, research, practice, and policy are discussed.