Sacramento, Ca —The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) signed a contract with the San Francisco County Sheriff to launch a pilot program to provide transitional services to state inmates immediately before their scheduled release.  This program will help improve the inmates’ prospects for rehabilitation.

The county-owned Secure Reentry Program Facility, adjacent to the county jail, will house up to 56 male prison inmates whose sentences are almost up and are scheduled to return to San Francisco County within 60 days. The county will provide rehabilitative services such as education, pre-employment training, housing assistance, mental health and medical services, and substance abuse treatment.

“We must be innovative in meeting the needs of offenders if we are going to reduce the number of those caught in the cycle of incarceration,” CDCR Secretary Jeffrey Beard said. “This partnership is a progressive step toward connecting inmates with local services and meeting those needs.”

In 2013, the Legislature approved up to $5.4 million for CDCR to partner with select counties to connect offenders with local services that are proven to help successful reintegration into society, including securing identification cards and enrollment in health programs such as Medi-Cal.

“The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department is proud to be part of this unique partnership that enables us to create the Reentry Pod and amplify what it means to hold both the criminal justice system and those within our custody accountable toward the goal of reducing recidivism.” San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi said. “The Reentry Pod is not only about the rigor we put inmates through to prepare themselves for release, but to challenge our local approach to not throw away people once they leave our custody.”

The three-year contract stipulates CDCR will pay the county $77 per day for every inmate housed in the reentry facility.

In the 2014-2015 Budget Act, $20 million was approved to expand state and county reentry programs across the state. CDCR continues to meet with counties and local communities to discuss the expansion of reentry programs.

To stay updated on CDCR’s efforts in increasing rehabilitation for inmates, subscribe to the Rehabilitation News blog here: http://rehabilitationnews.blogspot.com/.

For more detailed information on what CDCR’s Division of Rehabilitative Programs offers, visit: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/index.html.