Special Programs and Opportunities

Inside Out Courses

Inside-Out courses are traditional Claremont Colleges courses offered in partnership with the international Inside-Out Prison Exchange Center. The purpose of this partnership is to place college students with incarcerated students for a semester-long course held at one of California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities.

The Claremont Colleges Inside-Out courses take place at California Rehabilitation Center—a Level II men’s prison in Norco, CA. These courses are slated as “Permission of Instructor Required” in an effort to provide our faculty members with the opportunity to fully explain the nature of the course to interested students. Students who want to enroll in the course must complete the faculty member’s application or interview process before they are allowed to register.

Interested students should also be aware of special course demands. Time management is crucial as the commute to and from the Rehabilitation Center can take an additional hour each way—outside of the designated course time. There is also a clearance process before entering and exiting the prison, required (TB) testing (available for a small fee through the Student Health Services), and the need to submit personal information for background checks.

For more information, please contact Tessa Hicks Peterson, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement at Pitzer College.