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Rehabilitative Process

Rehabilitative programming opportunities are available to all incarcerated individuals at various stages during their incarceration, including parole. During an incarcerated individuals process, they are provided medical, dental, mental health, institutional jobs, and an annual classification process. The basic steps of the rehabilitative process details the best way for an incarcerated individual to be prepared for success upon release.

NOTE: Please note that each incarcerated individual is subject to variables that may defer from the exact steps as listed below.

Step 1: Incarcerated individual Enters Reception Area

Overview

Incarcerated individuals are provided orientation regarding key policies and procedures (PREA, ADA, Medical, MH, etc.) and various assessments, including their risk to reoffend and criminogenic needs.

  • California Static Risk Assessment (CSRA)
  • Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS)
  • Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) Reading
  • Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) Security Assessments
  • Healthcare Evaluations

Step 2: Begin Classification Process

Overview

Following reception and once at their home institution, an incarcerated individual meets with their correctional counselor and goes through the classification committee process where they are placed on appropriate programming lists, including educational, treatment, and jobs/work assignments. Rehabilitative placements should be driven from CSRA, COMPAS, and CASAS Reading along with an incarcerated individuals discussion of needs/wants and case file information.

Once placed at a home institution, an incarcerated individual will formally go through the classification process where DAI correctional counselors will review the incarcerated individuals reception center information and discuss their needs, wants, and goals while incarcerated, including different programming or institutional jobs that may be available to the incarcerated individual at this specific location. The correctional counselor will review an incarcerated individuals needs from COMPAS, CASAS Reading scores, and any other applicable case file information to decide what programs best fit their incarceration timelines. Here, counselors can leverage the Rehabilitative Case Plan in Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS) to help guide their recommendations during the classification process.

Step 3: Programming: Day 30 – Up to 60 months left to serve

Overview

Incarcerated individuals may be placed in various programming aimed to focus on gaining any necessary educational achievements along with any voluntary programs.

  • Education
  • Grant / Inmate Activity Groups
  • Library Services
  • Recreation Programs

Interdependency key

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
If an incarcerated individual has a need for education services and is placed on an academic list through the DAI classification committee, Correctional Education instructors will administer a full CASAS battery. These tests are aimed to gather a full understanding of an incarcerated individuals math and reading needs and estimated grade level. Here, it is critical that all barriers to receiving educational services be mitigated to avoid potential disruptions of the learning process.

GRANTS
During the Grant process, DRP awards grants to non-profit vendors. These vendors provide inmate activity groups programming similar to historical self-help programming and include programs such as the Prison Yoga Project and gardening. They are coordinated at the local institution level through DAI’s Community Resource Manager. DAI is responsible for finding space, coordinating activities/times, developing class assignments, and coordinating all grantees access to the institution.

LIBRARY AND RECREATION
These services are made available to the incarcerated individuals population by the Division of Rehabilitative Programs. However, access to programming can sometimes be determined by safety and security issues. DRP plays a critical role to ensure they are provided literacy improvement opportunities, rich literature content, law library services, and research materials for college classes.

COLLEGE
Once an incarcerated individual reaches a High School Diploma or Equivalency (GED, HiSet) level of education, DRP works with local and national colleges to provide both on-site face-to-face college and college correspondence. DAI plays a critical role in the assignment process for these courses as they can significantly change from semester to semester – this drives a large workload for DAI. Creating and maintaining flexibility in assignments and scheduling allow the incarcerated individuals to attend college, assignments, jobs, or other programming.

Step 4: Programming: 48 – 60 months left to serve

Overview

Incarcerated individuals may be placed in various programming aimed to address criminogenic needs, obtain a higher education level, or both.

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)
  • College Programming

Interdependency key

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
While DRP delivers the Career and Technical Education training, incarcerated individuals are also placed through the DAI classification and the incarcerated individual assignment process. This programming, geared toward incarcerated individuals nearing their earliest possible release date, is often complicated by other incarcerated individuals programming needs and priorities, further creating complexities for the DAI classification and assignment process. Additionally, DAI’s Incarcerated Individual Assignments prioritizes placement in these programs for incarcerated individuals closest to release with the highest risk and highest needs. This classification is often complicated by educational location, custody issues, and institutional job and other assignments needed prior to release.

COLLEGE
Once an incarcerated individual reaches a High School Diploma or Equivalency (GED, HiSet) level of education, DRP works with local and national colleges to provide both on-site face-to-face college and college correspondence. DAI plays a critical role in the assignment process for these courses as they can significantly change from semester to semester – this drives a large workload for DAI. Creating and maintaining flexibility in assignments and scheduling to allow the incarcerated individual to attend college, assignments, jobs, or other programming.

Step 5: Programming: 12 – 24 months left to serve

Overview

Incarcerated individuals may continue receiving treatment and educational programming in prison or may elect, if eligible, to participate in community-based reentry programs.

  • Female Community Reentry Program (FCRP)
  • Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP)
  • Transitions Reentry Program
  • CAL-ID Program
  • Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI)

Interdependency key

REENTRY PROGRAMS
CDCR allows male and female incarcerated individuals to participate in community-based reentry programming (FCRP, MCRP) prior to formal release from custody. These reentry programs are aimed to supplement any programming not received while incarcerated (employment/education/treatment) while also creating linkages to critical community-based needs to better engage and create a warm hand-off for an incarcerated individual’s formal release to parole/probation. Again, Correctional Counselors play a critical role here to ensure that incarcerated individuals available to go to these programs go through the classification process and are placed on the approved programming lists in order to participate in this programming.

TRANSITIONS REENTRY PROGRAMMING
DRP employs Transition Reentry teachers that focus on employment, transitions, and financial literacy for an incarcerated individuals within their last year of incarceration. DRP supplies the DAI programming assignment office with a list of incarcerated individuals to be assigned to the classroom. It is really important that appropriate case planning has occurred throughout an incarcerated individuals incarceration to allow them adequate time to take this 75 hour course prior to release. Equally as important, DRP should make this programming available to all incarcerated individuals prior to release which often requires rotating on yards, etc.

CAL-ID PROGRAM
Prior to an incarcerated individuals release and with other pre-release programming/information, DAI Correctional Counselors will meet with incarcerated individual and discuss their eligibility/need to receive a California identification card upon release. DAI will work with the incarcerated individuals to complete necessary forms within appropriate time frames, where the forms are then routed to DRP for tracking and processing. If eligible, an ID will be sent back to the institution to give the incarcerated individuals upon checkout order. Ensuring the ID is available and given to the incarcerated individual is critical to support their successful reentry.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS
While DRP facilitates and delivers treatment programming through contracted providers, incarcerated individuals are placed on waitlists through the classification process and the Incarcerated Individual assignment process at the right time. Importantly, case planning is necessary to allow incarcerated individuals to take multiple needs and accomplish other priorities prior to release. Additionally, DAI’s Incarcerated Individual Assignments office prioritizes placement in these programs for incarcerated individuals closest to release with the highest risk and highest needs which can drive significant workload. These assignments are often complicated by treatment location, custody issues, and institutional job and other assignments needed prior to release. It is also very important for DRP to make this programming available to incarcerated individuals prior to release which often requires rotating on yards, etc.

Step 6: Programming: 210 days left to serve

Overview

Incarcerated individuals participate in Parole Planning designed to help them successfully reenter the community from prison.

Interdependency key

PAROLE PLANNING


During the pre-release phase of an incarcerated individuals incarceration period, they will meet with DAPO staff that administers a COMPAS reentry assessment focused on criminogenic needs of those in post-incarceration. At this time, DAPO in-prison staff will work to refer incarcerated individuals to programming addressing any unmet criminogenic needs directly following incarceration. Once in the community, DAPO parole agents work closely with DRP to get parolees into available community based services, including treatment, employment, transitional housing, and other community services needed to best effectuate an incarcerated individuals successful reentry into society.

Step 7: Parole / Back into the Community

Overview

Parolee successfully rejoins society. DRP works closely with DAPO to provide comprehensive post-release rehabilitative programs and services located in communities throughout the state of California delivered through residential, outpatient, and drop-in centers.

  • Day Reporting Centers (DRC)
  • Community Based Coalition (CBC)
  • Long-Term Offender Reentry Recovery Program (LTORR)
  • Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming (STOP)