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California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) Program Certifies Inmates for Productive Life after Prison
Carpentry training program reduces crime, has proven record keeping paroled inmates from coming back to prison.
CHINO – Today, 20 inmate Career Technical Education (CTE) carpentry participants received diplomas and/or certificates during graduation ceremonies at the California Institution for Women at Chino.
“These graduates are learning valuable skills that will give them a foundation for success as they transition back to the communities from which they came,” said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Secretary, Matthew Cate.
With a recidivism rate of less than 15 percent, CALPIA’s CTE programs are among the CDCR’s most successful vocational training programs.
To increase the chance of employment, all CALPIA inmate employees are required to obtain a high school diploma, or complete a GED, within two-years of beginning the program.
“By choosing to participate in CALPIA’s carpentry training, these graduates have learned construction skills, and significantly reduced their chances of returning to prison,” said Chuck Pattillo, General Manager of CALPIA. “Rather than costing taxpayers an average of $49,000 per year for housing, the vast majority of CALPIA graduates will become law-abiding and taxpaying citizens.”
CALPIA is a self-financed state entity that receives all of its revenue from the sale of products it manufactures. The recidivism rate among CALPIA inmates is more than 25 percent lower than the general prison population, a success attributed to the job skills they receive by working in CALPIA business enterprise and participating in CALPIA-managed Career Technical Education programs.
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