Cal State LA celebrates graduates at LAC

January 8, 2025

Cal State LA celebrated 16 graduates as the third cohort of the Prison Graduation Initiative (PGI) at California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC).

Four of those graduates returned from parole to walk the stage during the Dec. 5 ceremony. With the determination to transform their lives, these students earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.

“PGI prepares our graduates to return to their communities with highly valued degrees, applied skills, and the knowledge and insights to reenter their communities and serve as agents of change that they have become,” said Bidhan Chandra Roy, program manager for PGI at Cal State LA.

Honorable Deborah L. Sanchez from the Los Angeles Superior Court and Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes spoke to the students during the ceremony.

Keynote speaker Allen Burnett was among the first graduating class of students from Cal State LA’s PGI. He received his bachelor’s degree in communication in 2021, then completed his master’s degree in communication studies in 2023.

“I want to thank Cal State LA for thinking that the incarcerated deserve an education. This program changed my (life) and I know it will change these graduates’ lives as well,” Burnett said.

Burnett is now the co-founder and executive director of The Prism Way. This community-based organization focuses on reentry, behavioral health, and self-development for justice-involved individuals.

Meet the Cal State LA graduates

Graduates wearing caps and gowns at LAC.

Casi Amezcua, who graduated in the Dec. 5 PGI ceremony, started his academic journey while serving his sentence at LAC. He was released on parole in April.

Arrested in 1999, convicted of murder and sentenced to 180 years to life, Amezcua spent 24 years in prison.

“It seemed pointless to pursue a college degree when serving a life sentence. However, I’m glad I changed my attitude,” he said. “A higher education gave my life a purpose, a challenge, a chance to finally be a good role model for my children.”

Once paroled, he continued pursuing his college degree at the Cal State LA campus through Project Rebound, a program supporting higher education and successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Now, Amezcua is working part-time for Center for Employment Opportunities.

Graduate Edwin Cruz also returned from parole to graduate. He hopes to get into the social work field, while supporting his fellow graduates who are still incarcerated.

“I want to be the evidence that change is possible, that hope is real,” Cruz said. ‘It does happen if you stay determined and focused.”

What is PGI?

A graduate poses for photos at California State Prison, Los Angeles County.

PGI began at the Los Angeles County Prison in 2016. It has served more than 118 students, with 50 students receiving their Bachelor of Arts in Communication while incarcerated with 15 students transferring and completing their degree on campus.

In the upcoming year, PGI will serve a total of 139 students in three prisons: LAC in Lancaster, California Institution for Women, and California Institution for Men, having added a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies.

In 2027, PGI will add a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an option in Management while expanding the student enrollment total to 172.

To learn more, visit the Cal State LA’s Prison Graduation Initiative website.

Story by Ashton Harris, information officer
Office of Public and Employee Communications