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California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) Certifies Inmates for Productive Life after Prison
CALPIA Programs Provide Training and Certification For Soon-To-Be Paroled Inmates
CORONA – Today, 23 inmate workers at the California Institution for Women (CIW) received diplomas and/or certificates during graduation ceremonies.
Eight Career Technical Education (CTE) graduate completed the necessary steps to receive CALPIA certification in Construction. In addition, 15 inmates that work in CALPIA’s Fabric Enterprise at CIW are receiving International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Internal Auditor certificates.
“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 10 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 the CTE graduates have built new programming space, learned construction skills, and significantly reduced their chances of returning to prison,” said Chuck Pattillo, General Manager of CALPIA. “We are also proud of the 15 inmate employees of our Fabric Enterprise who have achieved ISO Internal Auditor certification.
CALPIA inmates are the first correctional industry inmates in the nation to achieve this distinction. Rather than costing taxpayers an average of $47,000 per year for housing, the vast majority of CALPIA graduates will become law-abiding and taxpaying citizens.”
CALPIA’s CTE program trains inmates in various construction skills that include welding and ironwork, general labor, and finished carpentry. CALPIA provides paroled graduates with a set of tools and a tool belt so they are ready for the first day of their new job.
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 26 to 30 percent lower than the general prison population, a success attributed to the job skills they receive by working in CALPIA business enterprises.
