Santa Barbara County Jail Celebrates Sheriff’s Treatment Program Graduates

The normally drab south recreation yard at Santa Barbara County’s Main Jail was transformed into an impromptu celebration space on April 28. Rows of chairs and clusters of green and gold balloons offered a welcome contrast to the beige walls and concrete floors for a unique ceremony held to recognize more than two dozen graduates of the Sheriff’s Treatment Program’s personal development and Criminal and Gang Members Anonymous courses.

The graduation ceremony highlighted the latest cohort of incarcerated students from the Sheriff’s Treatment Program at the county jail, which offers a host of courses ranging from college-credit classes administered in coordination with Santa Barbara City College to book clubs, writing groups, and personal skills courses designed to give participants a strong foundation to rebuild their own lives.

Sheriff’s Treatment Program and Services Manager Alice Perez, who has worked to expand the availability of resources at both county jails, says this most recent group of more than 30 students serves as a testament to the importance of investing in restorative programs. The students who were celebrated in the spring commencement either completed SBCC’s three-unit Stress Management course or earned a certificate through the Criminal and Gang Member Anonymous program.

Graduates sat smiling and posed for photographs as they received certificates of recognition from Sheriff Bill Brown and Custody Commander Selim Celmeta. The students received multiple rounds of applause from community members, jail staff, and program instructors who packed the seats in informal graduation space.

Sheriff Brown spoke to the students and commended them for taking charge of their own destiny by completing the programs. Brown said the skills gained in the stress management course will help them “chart their own course” and make choices that result in a better life for themselves.

Sheriff Brown referred to one of his favorite books, The Ways We Choose, written by retired Navy pilot Dave Carey, who crafted a five-point philosophy to overcome adversity in any situation. Carey’s plane was shot down during the Vietnam War, and though he survived, he was captured, beaten, and imprisoned in the infamous Hanoi Hotel for more than five and a half years.

Carey’s philosophy, which Sheriff Brown said can be translated to any hardship, begins with doing what you have to do in any situation and then making sure you always do your best. Next, you always choose to grow from your experiences, while retaining your sense of humor and keeping your faith in something larger than yourself.

“All of us are gonna get shot down somewhere in our lives,” Sheriff Brown said. “And this lesson is a valuable one.”

Sheriff Brown said he was “extremely proud” of the students who completed the college-level stress management course, taught by professor Noel Gomez of SBCC’s Rising Scholars program for formerly incarcerated students.

“This graduation is proof that your past doesn’t define you,” Sheriff Brown said. “You are pioneers of your own comeback, and you’ll be ready for whatever challenges life brings your way.”

In addition to Sheriff Brown, graduates heard from recent graduates of SBCC’s Rising Scholars program. These included Daniel Vasquez, Kendra Morris, Estella Avila, and Enrique Moran, who all shared about overcoming similar struggles and regaining control of their lives.

These stories of success from the Rising Scholars offered a glimpse of a potential future for the graduates. Moran — a peer mentor for the Rising Scholars program who spent time in the very same jail — recently graduated from SBCC with five associates degrees and is on his way to study at UC Santa Barbara. Vasquez, who was accepted to four of his top choices for universities, will be continuing his education at UCLA.

Santa Barbara County Jail is the only county facility in the state that offers the Criminal and Gang Members Anonymous course, a program started by Lead Chaplain Eddie Perez, who instructs the class and has become a mentor to many of the graduates. Several of the program graduates spoke during the ceremony, thanking Perez for teaching them how to process and navigate away from a criminal mindset.

The Sheriff’s Treatment Program will continue to expand its services at both county jails. Graduates of the college-level courses can transfer credits to continue their education after being released.