As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to ravage the world, there’s one particular population that is unable to stay completely safe: prisoners and inmates throughout California’s criminal justice system. Thankfully, there are amazing organizations like the California Re-Entry Program, that are working to assist people incarcerated in California prisons, even during this pandemic! Keep reading to learn more about the important work these social justice warriors are fighting to do.
The California Re-Entry Program’s mission is to assist people incarcerated within the California prison system to a successful reentry into society. They do this by providing education, as well as connecting them to resources before their release, to help reduce recidivism rates. Recidivism is the tendency of those incarcerated to commit new offenses and wind back up incarcerated. As recidivism rates among formerly incarcerated people are particularly high in California, the California Re-Entry Program works with those incarcerated to get them fully integrated back into society in a number of ways.The California Re-Entry Program team assists in developing parole plans, solid relapse prevention plans, and social skills among their clients. They also hold weekly life-skills workshops, coordinate clients’ reentry needs with their California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor, and assist in obtaining services in the communities of reentry. The Re-Entry team also helps to promote public support for reentry programs by advocating publicly for reentry reforms and providing a model for reentry programs that could be replicated in all California prisons.
The California Re-Entry Program is made up of a dedicated team of volunteers from all around the San Francisco Bay Area. This team visits, advises, and counsels men incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison on a monthly basis. They provide drop-in assistance on-site, including county resource guides, financial aid applications and information, as well as GED program info, and information on employment opportunities.They also provide long-term case management for clients who need long-term planning assistance with employment, education, medical needs, substance abuse treatment, and housing. In addition, the Re-Entry team helps with special needs assistance, providing parole clothing, workshops, and training to both clients and volunteers, to ensure new resources and the most accurate and quality information is what their clients receive.
If you or someone you know wants to get involved with this fantastic organization dedicated to assisting people incarcerated within California, you can do so here. If you’d like to donate, you can do so here. Please share this article with anyone you feel might be interested in learning more about the California Re-Entry Program and the amazing work they do for their clients. For more information about the California Re-Entry Program , check out their website: https://www.ca-reentry.org/
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