California Reentry Institute

THE PROBLEM:

Did you know that 1 out of every 100 adults in the United States is incarcerated (Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Did you know that 1 in 15 will serve time in State or Federal prison during their lifetime if recent rates remain unchanged (thefiscaltimes.com)

Did you know that there are 103,169 men in state prison in California (CDCR Report overnight 8/12/2020)

Did you know that without intervention 70.8% of all prisoners paroled will re offend and return to prison (Public Policy Institute of California)

Did you know that California spends approximately $81,203 per year for each inmate (Finance & Legislative Analysts Office)

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION:

California Reentry Institute (CRI) serves men incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison through our restorative justice based Pre and Post Release Programs. Every dollar helps incarcerated men leave prison ready to build successful, productive, and socially conscious lives. By supporting California Reentry Institute (CRI) you are helping prepare the incarcerated for a successful reentry into society. As well as the support necessary upon release and beyond to become successful citizens.

Through our intensive Empowered Reentry Program where our participants take part in 100 - 4.5 hour classroom sessions, where they learn to understand the causative factors of why they committed their crime; they learn to understand that they have worth and care for themselves, leading them to care of others; they learn to understand the pain and suffering that their crime caused and the ripple effect of their crime; they learn that they have value and can be of value to society. This is all done through carefully crafted curriculum and individual case management.

Through our post-release program these men continue to receive services from CRI. Upon their release we have someone meet them at the gate, we provide them with the necessary items that they need including a prepaid 30 day cellphone to connect with friends and family, clothes, shoes, linens, toiletries, luggage, and a backpack among other items. Their individual case management continues with assistance in job placement and any and all other things that we can provide for them to succeed.

CRI: The Solution:

180 served so far at San Quentin State Prison
         75 released and we are serving in the community (5 during corona virus quarantine) - 29 at CRI’s Reentry House,
         39 graduates waiting to return to society – 3 any day now
         46 of our 4th Cohort are continuing classes during Covid  via correspondence 
         14 of our 4th Cohort were transferred to other facilities and 6 were released from other institutions - we hope to hear from them 

ZERO of the gentlemen we have served through program have gone on to recidivate - they are all contributing members of society.  
That is a savings to the State and Tax Payers of $6,090,225.00 per year (75 x $81,203)

Learn more about us at our website.  www.californiareeentryinstitute.org
You will see how we are being honored for this ground breaking work.

"Let me tell you why I am interested in you and this California Reentry Institute.  It’s because reentry is something we need to fix at CDCR.  As I’m traveling around the state I realized that we’ve got some things that are broken.  Let me tell you a story. Just yesterday I was in Monterey on a panel with a returned citizen who had been out about 2 years after serving 20 years in prison. He told the story about the first 10 days he was out and there was no help. The proverbial story about the $200 and a pair of shoes but nobody helped him. Well that actually happened to him. But his message was really interesting, what he said was “when I got out I didn’t need a job, it wasn’t about the job, it was about the other things I needed help with. I was emotionally messed up”. He needed things like dealing with PTSD issues, Anger, Denial, things you have and are learning to help you solve the problems we have. We don’t want more guys like that who get out and often return because they don’t know how to deal with society the way it really is after being locked up for so long. So thank you for the work you’ve done.  These are the things I need to take back to Sacramento”.   Excerpt from the address that Mr. Brant Choate, CDCR Director of Rehabilitation, gave to the CRI Graduating Class of 2018 at San Quentin State Prison on September 10, 2018 

You can see the full video of our graduation as well as other amazing statements about CRI  here

HELP US BREAK THE CYCLE OF INCARCERATION AND KEEP SOCIETY SAFER - PLEASE STAND WITH US