On Oct. 17th, 2023, an organization called Project Rebound, a program out of California State University, presented to the Criminal Justice and Sociology departments on its program. The program itself is dedicated to helping the formerly incarcerated get back on their feet and earn an education.
Project Rebound was hosted by Dan Festco, an assistant professor in the criminal justice and sociology departments. By bringing in Project Rebound to Laramie, Fetsco hopes to inspire and spread awareness in Laramie.
The Executive Director of Project Rebound, James Binnall, offered five representatives to speak on the behalf of their personal experiences with the project and its mission.
Each member on the speaking panel expressed their belief that Project Rebound has continued to achieve higher levels of success in its mission to help former convicts restart and get back on their feet. It has not always been easy though.
“We’ve had to break down many doors,” said Irene Sotello, the Program Director.
By doing so, they have provided many opportunities for people beyond the state of California. The project now has locations across the country despite having initial difficulties in securing additional funding.
The goal of hosting Project Rebound was to not only spread awareness to the UW campus and Laramie community, but to encourage the integration of like minded programs for former convicts in Wyoming.
