This year, the Partnership for Re-Entry Program (PREP) celebrated 20 years of service.
From its inception, PREP’s vision has been to help incarcerated people become productive returning citizens, increasing successful reintegration into society and reducing recidivism.
The program promotes successful reintegration by providing inmates with pre-release, modular, self-help correspondence courses. According to PREP, this reduces rehabilitative costs and makes communities receiving returning citizens safer and stronger.
Since PREP is correspondence-based, participants can study at their own pace while they manage other responsibilities.
Current lessons available through PREP include: Turning Point, Parenting, Anger Management, Domestic Violence, Wellness and Recovery, Gang Awareness, Centering Yourself, Survivors, Victim Impact, Insight, Confronting Criminal Thinking, and Denial Management.
Several of the modular lessons are also available in Spanish, including: Anger Management, Confronting Criminal Thinking, Domestic Violence, Wellness and Recovery, Parenting, Victim Awareness, Insight, and Denial Management.
The correspondence-based program was a lifeline to programming for many during the long lockdowns and quarantines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants were grateful to be able to dig in and use their time during lockdowns wisely by working on PREP lessons.
Drake Walker has been a participant in PREP since 2020. “It [was] a blessing to be able to continue my learning during the COVID-19 outbreak through PREP,” Walker said.
PREP staff encouraged program participants in their monthly Oasis Newsletter with the following message: “You do each lesson with the intent to look at your life and see what must change. We ask you to do only one lesson at a time and that you do it with purpose and completeness. This time with the virus gives us a moment to look at what we do and why we do it. Let’s use this time well.”
As the pandemic-induced lockdowns continued, PREP got better at coordinating its program under the difficult circumstances that prevailed. An important adaptation was designating incarcerated facilitators in each housing-unit, allowing quicker distribution and collection of lessons. An added benefit was that participants had a chance to ask questions of facilitators and receive answers promptly.
PREP participants endorse the program enthusiastically. San Quentin resident Derrick Gibson said, “I believe PREP to be a great source of information for those who truly look for change. What really stands out for me is [instruction on] insight, remorse, empathy, forgiveness, compassion and honesty.”
Kurt von Staden, now working on his sixth PREP module, said, “The program has been very beneficial. I enjoy taking these classes in my cell at my own pace. I’m dyslexic, so it takes me a little longer to get it. For sure the program is more important, but I’m also glad to have the chronos to show the Board that I’m still bettering myself.” Commissioners recently found von Staden suitable for parole.
Ronnie Joffrion began taking PREP courses in December, 2020 and has completed his fourth — Confronting Criminal Thinking. “PREP has helped me prepare for the Board because there are so many things that I didn’t understand until I did some lessons in the program,” said Joffrion.
Dennis Jefferson, a resident of San Quentin for eight years, first completed the Domestic Violence module. He then went on to Anger Management, which he completed during the 14-month long, initial COVID-19 lockdown.
These were just some of the words of encouragement from past participants given to those new to PREP or considering signing up.
Participants routinely expressed their gratitude to all of the staff of PREP.
“I was able to have a successful [parole] hearing through a number of groups that I have attended. Of particular importance in my transformation to be an accountable person today was PREP’s Turning Point course that taught me how to be transparent,” said Saul Martinez, a PREP participant from 2018.
PREP began under the leadership of several Catholic sisters, including co-founder Sister Mary Sean of the Order of the Preacher.
Sister Mary wrote to participants in PREP’s Oasis Newsletter, “I want to say to each of you: It is not the Recognition of Completion or any piece of paper in your file that gets you a date. It is the change you have made from who you were to who you are now. Speak and LIVE THE CHANGE YOU HAVE BECOME.”
