Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rehabilitation Reentry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wardens, advocates and CDCR officials debate rehabilitative programs and funding for women's prisons
Summary
At the subcommittee hearing, CDCR officials highlighted gains in education and career training at women's prisons, while advocates and formerly incarcerated speakers urged modernized vocational training, expanded community-based programs and $20 million for the RITE grant to reach more participants.
Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and community advocates told Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 that rehabilitative programming in women's prisons has expanded but still has gaps that hinder reentry and employment prospects.
"Academic education allows for growth through literacy, basic education, earning a high school diploma or GED, and enrolling in college," Amy Casillas, director of CDCR's Division of Rehabilitative Programs, told the committee as she summarized recent program outcomes. Casillas said that in the past three fiscal years nearly 6,000 students earned a GED or high school diploma, 2,800 earned associate through master's degrees, and more than 8,000 completed career-technical education programs or industry certifications.
Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said rehabilitative programs reduce recidivism and improve public safety, but several speakers urged updates to vocational training and an increase in community-based program funding targeted to women.
CDCR and the two women's wardens described outreach and program growth at Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) and the California Institution for Women (CIW). At CCWF, officials reported more than 1,800 programming slots and recent college graduations, including bachelor and master's degree recipients. Casillas said enrollments increased 24% at CCWF and 17% at CIW over the last year.
Advocates said official measures understate practical barriers. Precious Johnson, a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, said many vocational programs are outdated and do not teach current digital skills, online application processes, or scenario-based job-readiness. "The vocational training programs... are not up to date," Johnson said, adding that older people and those who served long sentences often lack basic digital literacy needed for reentry.
Community-based organizations and a statewide coalition of service providers urged sustained funding for the Rehabilitative Investment for Transformation and Empowerment (RITE) grant. Transformative Programming Works (TPW) said its members reached roughly 33,000 incarcerated participants with prior one-time funding and that RITE round 3 needs a $20 million allocation to sustain and expand in-person programs, especially for women and people in rural facilities.
Discussion versus decisions: no appropriation or grant award was made at the hearing. Lawmakers heard specific program metrics from CDCR and asked for more detail on aligning vocational curricula with local labor-market needs and reducing wait lists.
Ending: Committee members asked CDCR and advocates for follow-up data on program capacity, up-to-date curriculum plans and RITE grant spending proposals. Advocates said funding community-based, gender-responsive programs is essential to reducing recidivism and improving reentry outcomes.
