Welcome to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Office of Public and Employee Communications

Male Reform and Re-entry

California inmates are housed in each of the state’s 33 prisons based on the level of security risk they pose and their needs while incarcerated. Often, where they are housed can be far away from the local community where they are a resident. That distance can take a toll on family relationships and other ties to the community that could provide the inmate with a stable environment upon parole. In addition, overcrowding of California’s prisons compromises the ability of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to provide the types of programs and services that help inmates make the transition from custody to community.

The proposed Parole Re-entry Project would create a new style of partnership between the state and local governments that would provide services to help inmates make that transition. Inmates would move from a rehabilitative environment to their communities with tools and skills to reduce the incidence of repeat crime, improving the safety of our communities.

PAROLE FAILURE COMES WITH A PRICE:

Released inmates who violate the terms of their parole are a significant factor in over-crowding California's prisons:

  • Between January 1 - May 31, 2006: 64 percent of all inmates admitted to prison were parolees.
  • 8,690 committed new crimes.
  • 28,107 violated terms of their parole

A SOLUTION:

Researchers, public policy makers and corrections officials across the nation have forged a consensus that improving the services provided to parolees is critical, both to prevent the continuing cycle of incarceration and to avoid the cost of building additional prisons. In addition, housing inmates near the social service programs that will help them during parole ensures continuity so that there is no break in the relationship between parolees and service providers. If approved by the Legislature, CDCR would be authorized to contract for the construction of community-based re-entry facilities to house inmates preparing for parole.

  • Up to 10 facilities in local communities, with a total of 5,000 beds for inmates within 18 months of being released from prison;
  • Housing 500 inmates at a time provides personalized attention prior to release for rehabilitation, counseling and community services;
  • Would allow inmates close to their parole date or paroles who are returned to custody to serve time in their communities, providing continuous contact with family and with rehabilitation services;
  • Would be secure facilities, staffed by CDCR peace officers, but designed as low-rise buildings that would fit with the surrounding community.

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY:

The success of re-entry programs depends on the connection between California’s prison system and local government that represents the communities where paroled inmates will live. As parolees return to their former communities, they have increased contact with local service agencies as well as local law enforcement who patrol those areas. The re-entry program proposed by the Governor would include:

  • Providing local law enforcement with more information about parolees in their areas and provide parole agents with tools to assess the potential risk that each poses to public safety, which will result in better decisions about where to house them;
  • Create teams of parole agents and local law enforcement to increase the intensity and quality of supervision parolees receive, which will reduce the incidence of repeat crimes or parole violations.

PROGRAMS:

The purpose of the re-entry facilities is to provide soon to be released inmates with the tools they will need to make the transition back to their former communities. Re-entry facilities can give inmates the opportunity to continue in the community with the rehabilitation programs they begin in prison. Types of services proposed to be available in these community facilities include:

  • Drug and alcohol treatment;
  • Behavior therapy;
  • Employment services and job training;
  • Literacy and computer skills education;
  • Public defender and law clinics;
  • Family reunification counseling;
  • Mentoring;
  • Life skills training;
  • Workshops on healthy living, child support.

WHERE RE-ENTRY FACILITIES HAVE WORKED:

Baltimore, Maryland; Burlington, Vermont; Columbia, South Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Lowell, Massachusetts; Spokane, Washington.

State of Illinois: (The only state besides California with determinate sentencing and mandatory parole for all released inmates.) Only 6 percent of parolees were returned to prison for parole violations or new crimes.

COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FOR MALES:

CDCR currently contracts with private companies or local government to house and supervise approximately 5,300 low-security inmates at 13 Community Correctional Facilities in California. The Governor has proposed that this contracting be expanded to increase capacity by another 4,000 beds.