Project Rebound History

Project Rebound was created in 1967, by the late Professor John Irwin (1929-2010). Dr. John Irwin earned his Doctorate and taught at San Francisco State. As a formerly incarcerated person, Irwin created Project Rebound to assist students from the juvenile or adult justice system with the enrollment process.

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

In 1967, Dr. Irwin created Project Rebound as a way to matriculate people into San Francisco State University directly from the criminal justice system. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of formerly incarcerated people have obtained bachelor’s degrees and beyond.

Starting in 2016, with the support of the Opportunity Institute and CSU Chancellor Timothy White, Project Rebound expanded beyond San Francisco State. Based on its impressive track record, the program has continued to expand; there are now Project Rebound chapters at 20 CSU campuses.