Three programs that assist the formerly incarcerated reenter the community – Project Rebound at Cal State San Bernardino, the Underground Scholars Initiative at UC Riverside and the Rising Scholars program at Riverside City College – have joined together with the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to present the inaugural Supporting Successful Reentry Conference.

The conference will take place from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at UC Riverside.

Annika Anderson, executive director of Project Rebound and associate professor of sociology at CSUSB, will be the keynote speaker at the conference, which is aimed at bringing awareness to the complex barriers that carceral-impacted and system-impacted individuals face upon reentry in the Inland Empire, the educational opportunities that are available to them, and the resources that are designed to support their success and development.

The event is also geared toward building partnerships among law enforcement, rehabilitative agencies, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations that will lead to strengthening network capacity, streamlining services, and promoting higher education.

The ultimate goal of those efforts is to reduce recidivism in the Inland Empire and create a culture of care for those impacted by the justice system.

Representatives from institutions of higher education, law enforcement and correction, community-based organizations and individuals who were formerly incarcerated are scheduled to attend and share their expertise and experiences.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field, learn about data specific to the Inland Empire, as well as partake in conversations centered around reducing barriers for carceral-impacted and system-impacted individuals.

For more information, visit the Supporting Successful Reentry Conference website.