Nine students incarcerated at Deer Ridge Correctional Institute near Madras are set to receive associate degrees from Central Oregon Community College — the first graduating class from a program that could reshape outcomes for people held at the Jefferson County facility.
The degrees will be presented at an annual graduation ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at Deer Ridge, 3920 E. Ashwood Road. Attendance must be coordinated in advance by contacting Jackie Currie, COCC's prison education program coordinator, at jcurrie@cocc.edu.
A Milestone for COCC and Deer Ridge
"This program exemplifies COCC's commitment to educational access, and we're so excited to reach this milestone with our first graduating class," said Tony Russell, instructional dean at COCC.
The Deer Ridge program offers incarcerated students the chance to earn a transfer associate degree — a credential that allows graduates to continue college studies upon release. Of the approximately 1,100 adults in custody at Deer Ridge, around 30 are enrolled during a typical academic year. COCC instructors travel to the facility to teach subjects including biology, history, communication, and human development.
The Research Case for Prison Education
The numbers behind prison education programs are striking. A landmark study by the RAND Corporation found that recidivism rates drop to roughly 50 percent for people who earn their GED while incarcerated — and fall to just 13.7 percent for those who earn an associate degree. That sharply reduced re-offense rate translates directly to safer communities and lower long-term costs for the justice system.
Pell Grants Made It Possible
Financial access to the program was made possible in part when Congress lifted a 26-year ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals in 2023. COCC was among the first colleges in the country to apply for and receive national Pell Grant certification under the new policy — positioning Deer Ridge students to access the same federal financial aid available to any college student.
The program has implications beyond Deer Ridge's walls. Jefferson County and Central Oregon bear the long-term costs — social, economic, and fiscal — of high recidivism. An investment in education at Deer Ridge is, in a real sense, an investment in the county's future.
For more information on the COCC prison education program or to coordinate attendance at the June 9 ceremony, contact Jackie Currie at jcurrie@cocc.edu.