California State Prison Solano recently celebrated 27 incarcerated graduates from the Occupational Mentor Certification Program (OMCP) cohort 12.
Those attending included:
- Warden (A) Schultz
- Chief Deputy Warden (A) Gonzales
- Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT) contract staff
- family and friends of the graduates
- dignitaries from throughout California.
After 15 months of mentor program training, the Solano graduates now begin their journey to accumulate over 2,000 internship hours to become officially certified.
They will work with ISUDT contract staff in delivering Cognitive Behavioral Interventions programming to the incarcerated population. This milestone helps participants with employment prospects Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) counselors when they are paroled.
OMCP began as a pilot program at Solano in 2008. Now, the program is available in seven institutions.
What is the mentor program?
The mentor program teaches incarcerated persons to use their lived experiences and training to mentor and support their peers while incarcerated. Trainees receive some of the best AOD treatment education to be able to aid their incarcerated community.
Currently, OMCP has 394 participants comprising trainees, interns, and certified mentors across California prisons. Since 2019, 244 OMCP mentors have paroled with a recidivism rate of less than 1%, making OMCP one of the most successful rehabilitation programs in the California prison system. The program gives purpose and fulfillment to mentors while incarcerated, and a potential career upon release back into the community.
Learn more about the program on the website.
Submitted by Lt. Vicino
California State Prison Solano
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