Deer Ridge Prison College Program to Confer First-ever Associate Degrees

June 1, 2026

Central Oregon Community College’s education program at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution is conferring its first-ever degree awards from its recently established associate degree program. Nine students will receive their college degree.

The degrees will be presented at the annual graduation ceremony from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at the facility in Madras, 3920 E. Ashwood Road, that will also award certificates to welding students. GED students will be recognized at a later ceremony.

Note: Media attendance is welcomed at the commencement ceremony. Please contact Jackie Currie, COCC’s prison education program coordinator, at 541-330-4369 or jcurrie@cocc.edu to receive details.

“This program exemplifies COCC’s commitment to educational access, and we’re so excited to reach this milestone with our first graduating class,” said Tony Russell, instructional dean at COCC.

Under the guidance of COCC biology professor Emma Chaput, the college introduced a fully accredited, cohort-modeled associate degree program in the spring term of 2024. Of the approximately 1,100 adults in custody at Deer Ridge, some 30 are enrolled during the academic year, taught by COCC instructors who travel to the site. Subjects have included biology, history, communication and human development. The degree is a transfer award, allowing students to continue their college studies upon release.

A study from the RAND Corporation indicates that recidivism rates for adults in custody drops to 50% for those earn their GED in prison, and falls to 13.7% for those who earn an associate degree.

Financial assistance for students has in large part been provided by federal Pell Grants. When Congress lifted a 26-year ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals in 2023, COCC was one of the first in the country to apply for and receive the national grant certification.

The college provides a range of instructional services at Deer Ridge, through a contract established in 2008 with the Oregon Department of Corrections. Anchored by its state-mandated GED prep program, educational services also include Adult Basic Skills classes and a welding program.