Social Action Shared Offering on Sunday, January 19 to benefit Second Chance Scholars
In January 2023 the UU Church provided the security deposit to secure an apartment for Brandon Rodriguez, the first student in the college in prison program at Riverview Correctional Facility to continue his studies on campus at SUNY Potsdam following release from prison. Brandon has now graduated Summa cum Laude from SUNY Potsdam and is attending law school.
While Brandon studied at SUNY Potsdam he built a local agency, Second Chance Scholars, to assist other students to make the journey from college in prison to college on campus.
New York State is expanding college in prison opportunities for incarcerated people. However, the next challenge to be addressed is creating solid opportunities for these students to complete their degrees when they are released. The research clearly shows that very few students who are released from prison complete their academic programs. And this is especially the case for the students registered in a bachelor’s level degree program like the SUNY Potsdam@Riverview Correctional Facility program.
SCS is responding to this problem by helping students to secure and pay for housing. Housing is the lynch pin to successful re-entry. Without housing many of our students are released to shelters and they must work their way into stable, secure housing. Continuing college is a dream that is difficult to pursue for these students.
Since Brandon began SCS in 2023-2024 we have assisted four college students to continue their studies:
1 will graduate from SUNY Canton in May having completed a technology program
1 plus Brandon has graduated from SUNY Potsdam.
1-(Bill) is continuing at SUNY Potsdam in his final semester and has applied to Universities to pursue a masters degree in social work.
In the spring 2025 we have two more students coming to SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam.
In the fall 2025 we have at least 3 students coming to SUNY Potsdam.
This may seem like a trickle, but each of these students represents a network of friends and family members and a community who will benefit from their time in Potsdam and Canton. In this way we can change lives and build community safety one person at a time.
With the CRPA program and internships through Seaway Valley Prevention, our students are giving back to the community as they use their lived experience to help others.