RA: A Lifer Cohort

This riveting documentary captures the transition of formerly incarcerated individuals who have just been released from the California prison system to the Reintegration Academy. The participants in this program were once serving a life sentence in prison and never thought they would leave prison alive. After serving an average of 20 years in prison, they were released with few life skills. One participant served 33 years in prison and another was sentenced to prison at 18-years old and released at 44-years old. The Reintegration Academy is the first program of its kind in the U.S. to bring ex-offenders to the college campus for extended programming. The program teams with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Division of Adult Parole Operation to screen and select 35-40 formerly incarcerated individuals to participate in this 8-week program. The program immerses participants in Academic, Life Skills, and Career Development modules. "RA: A Lifer Cohort" highlights the experience of the program's 7th cohort, which was hosted at Pitzer College and consisted of 36 parolees, 30 of which were former "Lifers."