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Community Involvement Critical to Success of Reentry Centers
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What is Reentry?

Reentry is a coordinated effort by the state, counties, and programming providers to identify and target the challenges and opportunities inmates face as prospective parolees return to the community of their last legal residence.  Upon incarceration, a risk and needs assessment determines the rehabilitative programming for an inmate to ensure that their return to the community is safe and successful.  Unlike the current practice of release, reentry is a more sustained process that includes a collaborative partnership between the state and the community in transitioning an inmate from custody back into the community.

What are reentry facilities and where are they located?

A reentry facility in California is a secure correctional and rehabilitative programming site that will provide intensive treatment deemed necessary pursuant to each unique inmate’s risk and needs assessment.  The facilities’ design must take into account the need to locate services within the facility itself that will address the needs of the soon-to-be-released inmate. Elements such as classrooms, drug treatment areas, job training space, and areas that facilitate family reunification and housing solutions must be considered and included as part of the core design principles. Ideally, these facilities should be close to service providers, employers, families and community groups that will assist an inmate to successfully reenter the community.

Does and inmate have to meet certain criteria to qualify for the reentry facility? What are these criteria? What types of offenders will be allowed / disallowed? (e.g. level of substance abuse, medical problems, mental health, age, violent offenders?)

Inmates must both volunteer to participate and demonstrate a willingness to change or succeed on parole.  Based upon results of risk and needs assessments and evaluations conducted during an inmate’s incarceration, the offender will receive a prescription of program services.  Determining which inmates receive what level of rehabilitative programming will be based upon the risk an offender may pose to the community, as well as determining what the inmate’s treatment needs are.

Prospective parolees at secure reentry program facilities will start as inmates completing the last 6 to 12 months of their sentence.  Some residents of the facility may be parole violators, returned to custody. 

How much weight will be given to those counties rpociding a reentry facility for state when jail constructions funds are being awarded?

While AB 900 does not define or weight preference, the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) Executive Steering Committee will determine how preference is to be applied as a component of the Request For Proposals (RFP). (hotlink to the CSA RFP Process)

What are some of the benefits of having a reentry facility in my community?

There are a number of benefits. A primary benefit of a secure reentry program facility is greater communication and delivery of services and programs between government entities and community-based organizations and volunteers.

Presently, these relationships are not consistently available under current pre-parole release practices between the CDCR and a county receiving a parolee returning on a supervised parole. Secure reentry program facilities organize and coordinate the correctional and rehabilitative tools and techniques available to state and local law enforcement to monitor and manage parolee populations to improve public safety.

How will a reentry facility be designed, sited, and operated is such a way that is consistent with other businesses in my commmunity?

The design of any public facility has many practical considerations that must be weighed during the planning process.  The design of a reentry facility is no different and must consider many of the same criteria that would be applied when building any public or commercial structure.  Where is it most feasible to build in relation to the facility’s purpose?  How can it be built to include all of the necessary features while still remaining cost efficient?  What designs should be considered so that it reflects its surroundings in an appropriate manner?  What are the necessary characteristics of the facility that will make it successful?  To find out, the state must collaborate with local governments and other partners to identify those needs.  Those answers will help to shape what a reentry facility looks like and how it functions.

How will the local community be involved in deciding whether to have a facility?  What will be done to promote the facility to the local community?

CDCR will work with the counties on this effort.  Part of this process will be to conduct regional workshops and town hall meetings to educate the community about the benefits of having a reentry facility within their community.  Local market radio and media will also be used to help introduce the concept of reentry to the general public

Who selects the inmates for the reentry facility, i.e. the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation? Does the county have input into which inmates are selected?

The county will assist the state in deciding which type of inmate will be placed in the facilities based on local parolee population demographics and available treatment resources. The reentry facilities will house inmates/parole violators who are most at risk to re-offend when placed in the community.

Will drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and mental health services be provided in these facilities? Who pays for such services? 

Yes, there will be a full array of programming including substance abuse, mental health, education, vocation, and character based/cognitive education. The state will pay for the services that are delivered to state offenders within each facility.

What type of vocational classes does the reentry facility offer? How can potential employers help? 

Local employers will be invited to identify vocational training to develop the skills and abilities needed for the offenders to work in jobs provided by employers in the immediate area.  CDCR will be in regular contact with resources statewide to identify, register, and facilitate the deployment of all services that would benefit and support local employers interested in the potential labor force being developed in rehabilitative reentry facilities.  Providers can begin training parolees while they are incarcerated in the reentry facilities.  Additionally, local employers may be able to lease and utilize space where appropriate in secure reentry program facilities.  It may be possible for employers to employ inmates to work inside the facility, subject to safety, security and rehabilitative expectations.

What will be the function of State Parole Agents in reentry? 

The reentry facilities will work closely with the local parole units.  Parole Agents will most likely have their initial contacts with the soon-to-parole offenders in the reentry facilities.  Also, the parolees who are on revoked status will continue having contact with their Parole Agents.

How much money is available to counties for jail construction under AB 900? 

AB 900 provides a total of $1.2 billion in jail construction funding -- $750 million in Phase I and $470 million in Phase II. 

How does AB 900 differ from previous jail construction funding allocations and processes? 

There are two fundamental differences with AB 900 that have not previously been experienced with state-administered jail construction funding – 1) lease-revenue bond financing, and 2) a direct linkage to reentry facility construction for the state prison system.  Note: reentry facility construction funding is not part of the $1.2 billion allotted for jail construction.

How will the components/rules be established for the jail construction proposals process? 

A Jail Construction Executive Steering Committee will convene to determine various aspects of the Request for Proposals (RFP), including rating criteria and funding parameters.  The recommendations of the committee will be brought to the Corrections Standards Authority Board for their review and approval before a final RFP is disseminated.

Is there an estimate of when the jail construction RFP will be issued and when proposals will be due? 

Not at this time.  Due to the significant complexities inherent with AB 900, time is needed to establish the appropriate framework before all of the elements of an RFP can be determined.  The new reentry facility program within CDCR is currently developing details related to county agreements for siting of reentry facilities (a preference for jail construction funding awards cited in AB 900). Further, funding details/processes related to the lease-revenue bond funds to be administered through the State Public Works Board are evolving as well.  Coupled with these factors is the Jail Construction Executive Steering Committee’s process to further define other aspects of the RFP.  Once these significant pieces are solidified, an RFP will be issued.


How will the construction of reentry facilities be funded?

The secure reentry program facilities authorized by AB 900 will be funded by tax-exempt lease-revenue bonds issued by the State Public Works Board (PWB).  In funding a project through lease-revenue bonds, the CDCR typically leases a state-owned site to the PWB and constructs the project as PWB’s agent.  The completed facility, together with the site, is leased back to the CDCR for a rental amount consistent with the fair rental value of the reentry facility and not less than the bond debt and associated administrative expenses.  A lease term of 25 years is typical.

Additional information concerning lease-revenue bond funding can be found in the State Administrative Manual at http://sam.dgs.ca.gov.


Who should I contact to get more information on reentry facilities?

You can contact the Division of Reentry and Recidivism Reduction within CDCR via phone at (916) 445-9802 or fax at (916) 323-2298.

 

View Additional Reentry FAQ

Back to Secure Community Re-entry Facilities