Portland Community College Wins $1 Million Grant to Help Female Prisoners

Portland Community College has secured a $1.1 million grant from the United States Department of Education for a program designed to help juvenile women incarcerated at the Oak Creek Juvenile Facility.

The program - called The Opening Doors Project - provides career technical education as well as college guidance.

It's expected to help about 100 young women over the next three years.

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"I believe that those who overcome the types of hardships these young women face bring unique insights to our community," said Dan Wenger, division dean of Arts & Professions at the Cascade Campus. "It is not only about them being successful by standard measures such as getting a job or going on with their education, but about their experience adding up to something more powerful."

The women will receive computer application systems instruction that will feed them into the Career Pathways program.

Three tracks will be available to the students on release: They can continue with Career Pathways courses at PCC, enter state-approved pre-apprenticeship programs, or go directly into the job market.

The Career Pathways component will offer inmates wrap-around career and college success coaching both inside the prison and upon their release. This includes program staff working with them while in the facility to find the right career path, and creating a career and college plan they can pursue once they leave.

When released, the new students will be empowered to navigate the college's resources on campus and online. Plus, the computer application systems courses through Career Pathways will not only count toward a program certificate and degree, but also will provide foundational computer skills that are critical to navigating and succeeding in college, finding housing, or applying for jobs.