Some Californians released from prison will receive $2,400 under new state re-entry program
LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of Californians released from prisons could receive direct cash payments of $2,400 — along with counseling, job search assistance and other support — under a first-in-the-nation program aimed at easing the transition out of prison and reducing recidivism.
Recipients will get the money over a series of payments after they reach certain milestones, such as showing progress in finding places to live and work, according to the Center for Employment Opportunities, which administers the program announced this week.
The goal is to give people a chance “to meet their most essential needs,” such as bus fares and food, during the crucial first days after leaving prison, said Samuel Schaeffer, CEO of the national nonprofit that helps people who leave prison find a job and achieve financial security. .
“The first three to six months are the riskiest, when many people end up back in prison,” Schaeffer said Thursday. “We want to use this moment to immediately connect people with services, with financial support, to prevent recidivism.”
The Governor's Workforce Development Board, which is committed to improving the state's workforce, is providing a $6.9 million grant to boost community organizations and so-called re-entry services for former inmates to expand.
About $2 million of that goes directly to ex-offenders in the form of cash payments totaling about $2,400 per person. The center said the money will be disbursed incrementally as milestones are reached, including: attending interview preparation meetings with a job coach; make progress toward obtaining an industry credential or certificate; and creating a budget and opening a bank account.
Schaeffer said the new program is a “game changer” and the first of its kind in the country, which he hopes other states will copy.
He said his group distributes money and coordinates services, along with local groups that provide services including career training and mental health services. The program got a test run of sorts at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Center for Employment Opportunities was tasked with distributing direct payments to about 10,000 people facing financial hardship.
Schaeffer said that to promote equitable access to the funds, the center is recommending that its partners impose limited eligibility criteria for receiving payments. Apart from achieving the agreed milestones, there are no rules for how the money is spent.
Advocates say people returning from prison often struggle to find places to live and work as they try to reintegrate back into their communities. About 60% of former inmates remain unemployed within the first year of returning home, the center estimates.
Assemblyman Tom Lackey, a Republican from Palmdale who often focuses on justice system issues, said he welcomes any effort to reduce recidivism. But he worries this new program won't provide a way to track progress and ensure taxpayers get value for their money.
“If we start awarding stipends without accountability parameters, I am concerned about the return on our investment as it relates to outcomes and community safety,” Lackey said in a statement Thursday.
Schaeffer said he expects his organization to be flexible as the program is rolled out, “to continue to refine it and get smarter about how it's used” and make sure every dollar counts.
“I wish this partnership had existed when I re-entered,” says Carmen Garcia, who was formerly incarcerated herself and is now director of the Root & Rebound, a nonprofit organization that provides legal advocacy for people leaving prison.
He said the expanded program will allow groups like his to “bring these comprehensive services to more people working to rebuild their lives after incarceration.”