Abstract
The purpose of this study was to better understand the experiences of community college students with a history of incarceration who are rejoining society and seeking to acquire higher education. The study employed a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design wherein the researcher collected qualitative data through 10 semi-structured interviews and quantitative data through 55 electronically administered surveys. The overall findings suggest the experiences of community college students with a history of incarceration are multilayered and require continuous negotiation between and across systems that have been influenced by the past, influence the present, and will likely influence the future. Their reentry experiences are not only influenced by their societally stigmatized and discriminated criminal backgrounds, they are also influenced by historical reforms, familial and communal support, early exposure to trauma, and subsequent exposure to trauma while incarcerated. As this population seeks to acquire higher education, they continuously encounter and negotiate collateral consequences, adverse effects of trauma exposure, and negative early school experiences, while simultaneously navigating post-release experiences of self-discovery facilitated by higher education and substance abuse recovery. This study adds to an existing body of literature and provides multipronged recommendations for action that urge stakeholders at various levels to take action.