Project Rebound Offers a Path to a Degree for Justice-Impacted Students

Rudy Howell, program director of Project Rebound at SJSU, at the launch event on March 20. Photo by Robert C. Bain.

This spring, San José State officially launched Project Rebound, a program that supports the higher education and successful social reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals wishing to enroll and succeed in the California State University (CSU) system. Founded in 1967 at San Francisco State University, Project Rebound supports students from admissions through graduation and into career readiness by collaborating with campus entities and external organizations to offer peer mentorship, student support, and strategies for long-term growth. Participation in the program is open to any incoming or current Spartans who are formerly incarcerated, on or off parole or probation, and committed to performing college-level work.

Helmed by Program Director Rudolph “Rudy” Howell and Executive Director and Associate Professor of Communication Studies Oona Hatton, Project Rebound is supported by staff familiar with the justice system who are invested in the transformative power of higher education. A Project Rebound alumnus himself, Howell shares that his path to a bachelor’s degree was lengthy. Over the first 17 years of his incarceration,he completed his associate’s degree (AA). While in custody, Howell made inquiries to several universities nationwide, and received only one response: a letter from the SF State chapter of Project Rebound. 

“Project Rebound offered a structure of support when I got home,” Howell said at the Project Rebound Launch event at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on March 20. “I was released from prison in January 2013 with my AA in hand and my acceptance to San Francisco State. I called the director Jason Bell and said, ‘I’m home.’ I got out on a Wednesday. He had me enrolled in class the following Monday.”

Oona Hatton and Rudy Howell pose with Sammy Spartan at Admitted Spartans Day. Photo courtesy of Oona Hatton.

Hatton explains that they hope to build on Project Rebound successes from around the state, including the more than 1,500 students enrolled across 20 CSU campuses. She shares that more than 40% of Project Rebound students pursue graduate study. While the statewide average for recidivism, or the tendency for convicted people to reoffend and return to prison, is 42%, and the national rate is 70%, recidivism among Project Rebound alumni is only 0.59%. 

Clifton Oyamot, associate dean for academic programs and student success at the College of Social Sciences, encourages faculty members to join the fall 2025 faculty mentor program and invites members of the greater SJSU community to bring Project Rebound staff to department meetings and events to raise awareness

“Our goal is to eventually have a representative for every department across the university so that when a Project Rebound student comes in, we can connect them with someone specific in their major,” he explained at the launch event. 

Education as a lifeline 

Howell describes Project Rebound as an “alternative to the business model of the revolving door of prison” by focusing on social, political, and economic inclusion through self-efficacy and independence, and by providing tools to help students navigate life after incarceration. In partnership with Hatton and Oyamot, Howell hopes to create a supportive environment for formerly incarcerated Spartans who are focused on pursuing their degrees. Also on staff is counselor Wil Quintero, ’25 MBA, whose experience with UC Berkeley’s Underground Scholars offered a critical lifeline as he was pursuing his bachelor’s degree after serving time in prison.

“I always wanted to do something positive, but it’s hard to do something positive when your whole surrounding environment is negative,” Quintero said at the launch event in March. “Programs like Project Rebound really help students because we want to succeed. Everyone can do it; you just need support.”

L-R: At the Project Rebound launch on March 20, Rudy Howell, Oona Hatton and Anne Marie Todd surprised Peggy Stevenson with an award recognizing her years of service with the Record Clearance Project. Photo by Robert C. Bain.

Together, with new Administrative Support Coordinator Rachel Jones, the Project Rebound team plans to provide holistic, wraparound services for justice-impacted Spartans, including short-term assistance for crises; basic needs support in terms of food, housing, mental health support and emergency funds; help with admissions and financial aid, including tuition and books assistance, tutoring and transportation resources; and support with digital literacy, community networking and record expungement through SJSU’s Record Clearance Project, led by Margaret “Peggy” Stevenson, who teaches in the Justice Studies Department.

“Students who have past involvement with the justice system frequently have overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers and trauma, and see higher education as a path to brighter futures,” says Stevenson. “Project Rebound opens doors to greater opportunities. The campus is enriched by such dedicated and courageous students.”

Support Project Rebound’s mission.