The Office of Offender Services (OS), In-Prison Programs Unit provides comprehensive rehabilitative programs and services for offenders while in prison, and works closely with Community and Reentry Services to ensure a continuum of care.
Providing gender responsive, evidence-based programs and services to incarcerated offenders are vital components of California’s ongoing efforts to assist offenders in their successful reentry into the community. In order to maximize the positive impact of these programs and services, offenders are evaluated for their criminogenic risks and needs to ensure the right individuals are placed in the right programs at the right time.
Risk and Needs Assessment
The California Static Risk Assessment (CSRA) uses the offender’s past criminal history and characteristics such as age and gender to predict the likelihood they will re-offend.
The OS uses an evidence-based instrument, the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS), to assess offender needs and assign them to corresponding rehabilitative programs for maximum effectiveness.
Reentry Hubs
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has established reentry hubs at designated prisons to concentrate pre-release programs for inmates who are within four (4) years of release and who demonstrate a willingness to maintain appropriate behavior to take advantage of available programming.
Reentry Hub Location
Reentry Hubs are located at the following institutions:
- Avenal State Prison (ASP)
- California Institution for Men (CIM)
- California Institution for Women (CIW)
- California Men’s Colony (CMC)
- California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)
- Correctional Training Facility (CTF)
- Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF)
- Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP)
- Folsom Women’s Facility (FWF)
- Ironwood State Prison (ISP)
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison (SATF)
- Valley State Prison (VSP)
Reentry Hub Components
Reentry Hub facilities are comprised of the following components:
Adult Basic Education – Provides offenders the opportunity for a high school level education;
Career Technical Education – provides offenders with skills that correspond to the job market;
Inmates in a Career Technical Education Program
Cal ID – provides offenders with a state identification card prior to release;
Voluntary Education Program – offers offenders the opportunity to achieve a college education;
Transition Programs – assisting offenders with job skills required for the modern workforce:
- Transitions Planning
- Job Search
- Job Applications
- Winning Resumes
- The Interview
- One-stop Career Center Orientation
- Financial Literacy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) programs:
CBT programs provide evidence-based treatment, which addresses dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviors and cognitive processes; using monitoring and progress assessment to assist offenders in reaching their prescribed goals. Currently available programs include:
- Substance Abuse Treatment
- Criminal Thinking
- Anger Management
- Family Relationships
- Offender Mentor Certification Program (OMCP)
The OMCP provides an opportunity for offenders to complete a certification program in alcohol and other drug counseling. Inmates are recruited from various institutions and transferred to the host institution for training. Once certified as interns by the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC), the inmate mentors will be used to assist in the various substance abuse treatment programs throughout the state.
Long Term Offender Pilot Program
The CDCR will pilot a reentry model program using cognitive behavioral therapy specifically structured for offenders who may not be released in the near future.
Step-Down Pilot Program
The CDCR is implementing a pilot program to reduce long-term confinement in Security Housing Units (SHU), provide alternatives for inmates who want to disassociate from a criminal gang lifestyle, maintain safety in California prisons and communities, and comply with national best practices in addressing Security Threat Groups within California’s prisons.
In-Custody Sex offender Treatment pilot program
The CDCR is developing a pilot treatment program to address the risks and needs of offenders who are required to register pursuant to the California Penal Code Section 290. This pilot program will provide evidence based treatment for these offenders prior to their release to corresponding community based treatment programs.
Contact Information
California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. Division of Rehabilitative Programs 1515 S. Street, Suite 415-South Sacramento, CA 95811 Phone: (916) 324-3663
–Reprinted with permission
