HISTORY: The Start Of It All

Project Rebound Origins

• Origins in 1952

  In 1952, Dr. John Irwin (1929–2010) robbed a gas station and served a five-year prison term in Soledad Prison. During his incarceration he earned 24 college credits through a university extension program. After release, he earned a B.A. from UCLA, a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, and served as Professor of Sociology and Criminology at San Francisco State University for 27 years, becoming known internationally as an expert on the U.S. prison system.

• Founded in 1967

  In 1967, Dr. Irwin founded Project Rebound to matriculate individuals into San Francisco State University directly from the criminal justice system. Since inception, hundreds of formerly incarcerated students have earned bachelor’s degrees and beyond.

• Expansion in 2016

  In 2016, with support from the Opportunity Institute and CSU Chancellor Timothy White, Project Rebound expanded beyond San Francisco State into a consortium of nine CSU campuses. Today the CSU Project Rebound Consortium is a state- and grant-funded network on fourteen campuses. Since 2016, our students have maintained a 3.0 GPA, achieved a 0% recidivism rate, and 87% of graduates have secured full-time employment or admission to postgraduate programs.