Under the Leadership of Dr. Karin Edwards, Portland Community College Cascade Campus @drkedwardspcccc continues to expand their educational platform to include inclusion for the vulnerable, marginalized and oppressed. The Margaret Carter Skill Center @mcsc is an inspiring example, providing open access to underrepresented individuals who are seeking opportunities for educational advancement, personal growth, and workplace success. One of the Skill Centers key focuses is supporting those who are experiencing significant life transitions and need specialized assistance toward a college and career pathway, with particular emphasis upon outreach and engagement with those who are exiting correctional facilities.

Guiding this prison-to-college pathway program with passionate enthusiasm is Rhianna Johnson @rjohnsonpcc, who was appointed Director of Instructional Support Programs in February of 2016.  Johnson grew up in North Portland, attended Roosevelt High School, PCC-Cascade and earned her master’s degree in sociology from Portland State University. A former Director of Education at a prison outreach program in Washington State, Johnson now partners with a consortium of local groups including Highland Access, Re-entry and Recovery Program and a prison outreach team serving Coffee Creek Women’s Prison to provide education and job skills to inmates preparing for re-entry.

Johnson’s passion for creating pathways to success stems from witnessing the devastating challenges that face the formerly incarcerated, particularly within historically marginalized communities of color.

“Education is a key factor in reducing recidivism and so my goal is to get them going into college,” stated Johnson.

In addition to college readiness, the Skill Center’s re-entry programming is also developed to emphasize non-academic skills and professionalism that college professors look for in vocational and transfer programs and that companies and corporations look for in candidates for entry level positions. Project Independence classes are also available for women and classes in technology and computer literacy are provided to help former inmates whose skills lag behind due to no digital access available in prison.

A key component of maintaining the program is networking and building support for this and other reentry...initiatives. Johnson continues to make inroads with legislators working on increasing opportunities for the formerly incarcerated, meeting with Senator Dembrow @smdembrow who sits on the re-entry committee.

“We talked about “Ban the Box”, rental challenges faced by those with felonies and how to develop partnerships and employer connections through organizations such as Mercy Corps @mcnw and Dave’s Killer Bread @dkb, who hosted a re-entry summit back in 2015.” Johnson shared. “Sen. Dembrow also talked about creating a program that would utilize a panel of people who could issue certificates of “good citizenship” to former inmates, giving them further leverage in securing housing and employment.”

Johnson’s commitment to the program and to helping individuals overcome systemic barriers to their successful re-entry is unwavering.  “This is a population where you can make a huge impact on lives and crime reduction. The “school to prison pipeline” is a huge part of the problem, starting cycles that act as a revolving door that leads to felony convictions, recidivism and limited opportunities to survive, let alone succeed. When people are given a second chance and opportunities to gain skills and employment, it helps not just that one person, but their entire families and communities.” 

For more information about the Margaret Carter Skill Center, contact:

971-722-5183  or visit https://www.pcc.edu/career/skill-center/