California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority, Rehabilitation

CALPIA Entry to Employment kicks off at Solano

June 24, 2024

Prison Industry Board Member Kyle Patterson shares with CALPIA Assistant General Manager Michele Kane about how he was formerly incarcerated and how the Entry to Employment program will help with reentry.

Network connects employers to individuals before leaving prison

For the first time, incarcerated individuals are able to connect with employers and secure job offers before leaving prison through the Entry to Employment (E2E) network.

The California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA), in partnership with CDCR, the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and Geographic Solutions held a kick-off event at California State Prison, Solano this month.

Among the attendees were:

CALPIA’s General Manager Bill Davidson
CALPIA’s Assistant General Manager over Workforce Development Rusty Bechtold
Prison Industry Board Members Kyle Patterson and Katherine Minnich
CDCR’s Director of Division of Adult Parole Operations Jason Johnson
Acting Warden Jason Schultz
Acting Chief Deputy Warden Andre Gonzales
EDD’s Workforce Development Chief Kimberlee Meyer
and California Workforce Development Board Reentry Lead Joe Flores.

“The Entry to Employment network is a game changer when it comes to successful reentry for incarcerated individuals,” said Davidson. “CALPIA wants individuals to have a career before they return to their communities and this first-of-its-kind network is definitely helping in the process.”

The E2E network opens the door for incarcerated individuals to access EDD’s second-chance employer list and job offerings through CalJOBS, in addition to other popular employment websites. The E2E Network also allows the private business sector to access a more qualified and trained workforce in a market that frequently struggles to find qualified employees.

“It all starts with a meaningful job,” emphasized Bechtold. “Current and future employers use technology and web-based recruitment tools to hire new employees. Individuals who leave prison find it difficult to get a job with limited exposure to job search technology. The E2E Network provides that valuable guidance on how to get a job in the modern world and allows incarcerated individuals to take that experience with them.”

Entry to Employment helps people while still incarcerated

CALPIA’s Workforce Development Coordinators help incarcerated individuals at CDCR prisons with their resumes and pre-employment preparations. Once an individual is on the network, they can search for jobs that match their skills and qualifications. E2E displays positive employer matches and provides the functionality for incarcerated individuals to apply for available opportunities.

Douglas Woodall was the first applicant who was hired using the E2E network while incarcerated at California State Prison, Solano. Woodall was hired by a leading manufacturing company in mid-April and is extremely grateful.

“The E2E system helped me land a job,” said Woodall. “I was able to build a professional resume and get an early start applying for jobs in prison which was beneficial in the job hunt.”

Individuals who have approximately 180 days left on their sentence and who are part of CALPIA’s job training programs can participate in the secure job-seeking network.

“EDD is excited to be part of this collaborative program to help those soon-to-be released adjust successfully to reentry with the help of a good job,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “We are committed to improving California’s economic growth while meeting the evolving needs of employers, workers, and job seekers.”

Expanding to all institutions by next year

The E2E network started at California State Prison, Solano, and has now expanded to four additional institutions:

Central California Women’s Facility
Valley State Prison
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
and Avenal State Prison.

The goal is to have the E2E network available at every prison in California by next year.

“We are honored to partner with CALPIA to help close the skills gap and increase job placement for those leaving prison,” said Paul Toomey, President and Founder of Geographic Solutions. “Our E2E software solution will provide incarcerated individuals with the necessary tools and resources needed to help them find employment and thrive outside of prison, from one integrated online platform.”

It is expected that 600-800 individuals will go through the E2E program per year.

“I am thrilled to see how the E2E network secures career opportunities for people about to leave prison,” added Davidson. “CALPIA is all about second chances. Now we are seeing individuals in our programs find true success with employment before returning home.”

What is CALPIA?

CALPIA provides real-world job training to incarcerated individuals so they can succeed when returning to their communities. The self-funded state entity provides job skills to approximately 5,700 individuals in CDCR prisons.

CALPIA reduces recidivism and increases public safety. The organization’s goal is to ensure incarcerated individuals have career opportunities when they leave prison in hopes they never return.

CALPIA graduates earn industry accredited certifications and time off their sentences. Each individual applies to be in the program and CALPIA has countless success stories. A recent University of California, Irvine, recidivism study found CALPIA participants have a 15% return-to-custody rate after three years. This means 85% of all CALPIA participants do not return to prison. The lower recidivism rate saves the state millions of dollars of incarceration costs each year.