The topic of formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrating into society will be the focus of the next Yotie Talks at Cal State San Bernardino.

“The Conduits and Barriers to Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in San Bernardino” will be presented by Annika Yvette Anderson, assistant professor of sociology at CSUSB, on Thursday, April 6, at 3 p.m. in the John M. Pfau Library, room PL 4005.

Yotie Talks, which follows a format similar to the TED Talks, is organized by the University Diversity Committee at CSUSB, and is free and open to the public. Parking at CSUSB is $6.

While recidivism has been extensively researched, much less attention has been paid to the process of formerly incarcerated individuals’ reentering the community. Given the high rates of returning inmates, there needs to be a better understanding of the successful methods for their reintegration.

This is particularly important since their struggles may affect their family, friends and the community in general.  In this talk, Anderson will discuss the conduits and barriers to reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals in San Bernardino.

In addition to her teaching duties, Anderson is the director of Project Rebound, a campus-based reentry program modeled after San Francisco State’s Project Rebound that helps formerly incarcerated students prepare for, apply to, enroll in, and graduate with high-quality degrees from CSUSB.

California has historically suffered from one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation, with two-thirds of those released from prison returning within a few years. For those participating in college programs, the odds of returning to prison are reduced by 51 percent. In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, the percentage of Project Rebound students who returned to prison was just 3 percent.

This California State University effort involves CSU campuses in Pomona, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Fresno, Fullerton, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. It is funded through a $500,000 “Renewing Communities” grant from The Opportunity Institute.

The expansion of Project Rebound to seven additional campuses will make it accessible to 70 percent of individuals monitored by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Anderson received her B.A. in public relations from Pennsylvania State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University. Her research interests are in criminology, social stratification, sexuality, social psychology, race, and ethnic relations.

For more information, please contact Anderson at Annika.Anderson@csusb.edu or (909) 537-7658.