VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – May 22, 2025 –  At the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Facility, a unique educational partnership is providing hope and opportunity for incarcerated youth while bridging divides between the incarcerated and non-incarcerated populations. The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, launched in collaboration with California Lutheran University (CLU) and the Ventura County Probation Agency, is giving incarcerated students the chance to engage in a college-level criminology course alongside traditional students from CLU. 

This year marks the program’s first-ever implementation at the juvenile facility, providing a transformative opportunity for 20 students to examine the criminal justice system from different perspectives and discuss solutions for improving it.

The class consists of 11 college students from California Lutheran University and 9 incarcerated youth from the facility, ranging from ages 14 to 25. Together, they sit side by side in a classroom environment behind the locked doors of the Juvenile Justice Facility in Oxnard, forming a circle of learning and conversation. As the students engage in thought-provoking discussions on justice system reform, rehabilitation, and victimization, they realize that their shared experiences—despite their vastly different circumstances—are more similar than they initially believed.

As one incarcerated student, M.L., shared, “It’s a new perspective on not only myself, but classmates, the individuals that I’m housed with, and the justice system in all…understanding the courts, victimization aspects, rehabilitation aspects.”

The Inside-Out program is part of a nationwide effort to create dialogue between incarcerated individuals and outside students to foster empathy, understanding, and personal growth. It offers incarcerated students the opportunity to earn college credit, build confidence, and expand their future prospects. For the youth in the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Facility, the program offers a chance to break the cycle of recidivism by providing them with the educational tools and support they need to reintegrate into society successfully.

Breaking Barriers and Building Understanding

This is the first time juvenile offenders at the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Facility have participated in the Inside-Out program, although CLU has been running the program with adult inmates at Todd Road Jail since 2018.

The collaboration between the probation agency and CLU marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts to provide incarcerated individuals with education as a means of rehabilitation.

John Tormey, Division Manager of the Ventura County Probation Agency, explains the significance of the program: “One of the primary focuses of what we’re trying to do here is to keep the youth from continuing on into the adult criminal system. Once people get into the adult system, it’s much more difficult to get them out of it.” By offering education and mentorship opportunities, Tormey hopes the program will provide incarcerated youth with the support they need to turn their lives around.

For the incarcerated students, this program provides a sense of belonging and validation that they often do not experience in other settings. M.L., one of the youth participants, shared that the class helped him regain a sense of humanity. “It’s been pretty meaningful. I feel like a human being again.”

Students on both sides of the classroom are experiencing life-changing moments. Carmen Martinez, a CLU student, reflects on the impact of the program, saying, “It’s so amazing. It’s so impactful. Taking this class has allowed me to realize I want to go into the criminal defense attorney side, and I do want to work with juveniles, so they can get fair treatment, because juveniles and adults get treated differently.”

The impact of the program is not only felt by the incarcerated students but by the traditional CLU students as well. Kelly Alexander, another outside student, noted how the experience challenged her preconceived notions about incarcerated individuals.

“The kids next to me looked like kids in my other classes, and their personalities are similar to my friends,” she said. “You just realize the labels people have don’t mean anything.”

Creating Opportunities for the Future

The Inside-Out program has proven to be a powerful tool for helping incarcerated youth find their voices and redefine their futures. M.L., who has recently enrolled in Oxnard College to pursue a degree in psychology and social science, credits the program with changing his life. “Right now, I’m enrolled in college full time at Oxnard College. My major is psychology and social science. My plan is to become a youth advocate, a mentor for my community. I want to come back into facilities like the one I’m in now, and be able to be a voice for them. I want to let them know that they’re not alone, and that there is a way out.”

The program has also inspired CLU students to reflect on their own career aspirations and consider how they can contribute to the criminal justice system. As Sadie, a senior at CLU, shared, “As much as they learn from us, we learn from them and can take that into our future careers.” Many of the non-incarcerated students are now pursuing careers in criminal justice, with some aspiring to become substance abuse counselors, defense attorneys, and forensic psychologists.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Inside-Out program has not gone unnoticed. Both KCLU and The Acorn have covered this transformative initiative, highlighting its ability to create meaningful change within the criminal justice system. The program’s culmination in May, where students presented their final projects proposing solutions to improve the justice system, was a powerful reminder of the potential for education to create lasting social change.

John Tormey summed up the program’s impact: “The opportunity to get a different perspective from people their own age in school—I can’t even put a price on that. It goes a long way to hopefully reduce recidivism. It shows them there are opportunities for them if they really want them.”

As this program continues to grow, we look forward to seeing more partnerships between California Lutheran University, Ventura County Probation, and other organizations working to make a difference. Education is a powerful tool in breaking the cycle of incarceration, and initiatives like the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program are leading the way.

To learn more about the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, visit www.insideoutcenter.org.

About the Ventura County Probation Agency