Santa Maria, Calif. – On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the Sheriff’s Office Programs Unit, in partnership with Allan Hancock College, celebrated 55 incarcerated students who successfully completed college courses at the Northern Branch Jail (NBJ). Included in the honorees are 13 students who completed HUSV 111: Addiction, Treatment & Recovery, 15 students who completed FCS 131: Life Management, 11 students who completed BUS 389: Customer Service Series, 6 students who completed ECS 101: Child, Family & Community, and 10 students who completed BUS 130: Consumer and Family Finance.

Allan Hancock College offers a rotating and extensive catalog of courses at the NBJ campus, while Santa Barbara City College does the same for the Main Jail. Courses at the NBJ began in March of 2022 and since then, over 70 college courses have been presented to incarcerated students. The education provided through these courses is coordinated through our Programs Unit and helps inmates achieve can-do attitudes, sobriety, confidence, employment viability, productivity, civic responsibility, and other positive achievements that provide a sense of self-worth and pride for them and for their families.

Sheriff Bill Brown, who addressed the graduates and presented each of them with a certificate of course completion, said, “I’m proud of the strong partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and Allan Hancock College, which brings diverse educational programs to the Northern Branch Jail. These classes give incarcerated individuals the tools they need to grow personally and professionally, pursue meaningful careers, and successfully reintegrate into society. This kind of transformation not only changes lives—it lowers repeat offenses and strengthens the safety and well-being of our communities.”